B1 - The nature/nurture debate related to factors

Question 1

Define Nature. Name some examples.

Answer 1

Nature is described as physical characteristics that are biologically determined by genetic inheritence.

Such as:
* eye/hair colour
* illness and disease
* height
* skin pigmentation
* straight/curly hair
* life expectancy.

Question 2

Define Nurture. Name some examples.

Answer 2

Nurture is described as influences that an environment has on an individual including social and environmental factors.

Such as:
* living conditions
* education
* finance
* social class
* geographical area
* diet/exercise
* environment
* religion/different beliefs
* parenting style

Question 3

Explain Gessell’s Maturation Theory

Answer 3

Gessell based his theory on the belief that:
* development is genetically determimed from birth - a biological process.
* children follow the same orderly sequence in their development.
* the pace of development may vary depending on physical and intellectual development.
* gessell observed the behaviours of many children from which he determined ‘averages’ or ‘norms’ which he called milestones of development.
* his milestones describe children’s physical, social and emotional development.

Question 4

Positive Views of Gessell’s Maturation Theory

Answer 4

• determined typical norms of development that are stilll used today.
• used advanced methodology in observations of behaviour in large numbers of children.

Question 5

Negative views of Gessell’s Maturation Theory

Answer 5

• did not consider the influence of individual or cultural differences in children.
• believed that the norms of development he described were desirable.

Question 6

What is Bandura’s social learning theory based on?

Answer 6

Social learning theory is based on a belief that learning happens through observing, imitating and modelling thr behaviours of others.

Question 7

What are the principles of social learning?

Answer 7

• Attention
• Retention
• Reproduction
• Motivation
• Reinforcement

Question 8

Define Attention

Answer 8

Attention is where learning takes place when a child focuses their attention on a person who models the behaviour.

Children are therefore more likely to imitate the behaviour of someone they identify with or admire.

Question 9

Define Retention

Answer 9

Retention is when what the child has observed is retained in their memory to be used when an opportunity occurs.

Question 10

Define Reproduction

Answer 10

Reproduction is described as what has been learned is reproduced or imitated. It may be released in the child’s mind first and then imitated later when there is an opportunity.

Question 11

Define Motivation.

Answer 11

Motivation is when children feel motivated because they anticipate intrinsic or extrinsic rewards.
* Children will be motivated to repeat or stop the behaviour, depending pn intrinsic or extrinsic reinforcement.

Question 12

B1

Define Reinforcement

Answer 12

Reinforcement is where behaviour may be repeated or revisited - this is reinforcement and can be either negative or positive.

Types of reinforcement:
* Positive Reinforcement
* Negative Reinforcement
* Vicarious Reinforcement

Question 13

Define Positive Reinforcement

Answer 13

Positive Reinforcement - behaviour is due to personal satisfaction (intrinsic reinforcement) or rewards (extrinsic reinforcement).

Question 14

Define Negative Reinforcement

Answer 14

Negative Reinforcement is when the behaviour is not repeated to avoid an adverse experience such as lack of satisfaction/being told off.

Question 15

Define Vicarious Reinforcement

Answer 15

Vicarious reinforcement is where children may be motivated as they see that the person or model receives negative feedback from their action.

Question 16

B1

Explain the Bobo doll experiment (Bandura’s Social Learning Theory)

Answer 16

• Children were shown adults being aggressive and non aggressive towards the bobo doll.
• The aggressive adults were either rewarded, reprimanded or had no consequences for this behaviour.

The experiment showed that:
* Children would copy the aggressive behaviour of another person.
* Outcome for the adult impacts on the likelihood of the children copying the behaviour.

Result:
* aggressive behaviour learnt through observation.
* children more likely to imitate an adult who was rewarded for aggressive behaviour than who was reprimanded.

Question 17

B1

The Stress Diathesis Model

Answer 17

• Stress is caused by life events (nurture).
• The impact that these have is linked to the individuals genetic makeup (nature) and the impact this can have on mental wellbeing.
• Some individuals have a genetic predisposition to mental illness (referred to as diathesis).
• If a person who has a genetic predisposition to mental illness may never experience a stress trigger in their life.
• However such triggers include: family conflict, abuse, trauma, problems at school, divorce, redundancy.