B1 The nature vs nurture debate Flashcards
Nature
genetic inheritance and other biological factors.
Nurture
the influence of external factors after conception such as social and environmental factors.
Maturation
a genetically programmed sequence of change, for example the onset of menopause.
What physical characteristics are determined by genetic inheritance?
Colour of eyes, straight or curly hair, skin pigmentation,
Other physical characteristics that appear to be influenced by the genetic makeup of the birth parents?
Height, weight, life expectancy and vulnerability to specific diseases.
What has the idea of characteristics we get from our parents sparked a debate about?
Whether psychological characteristics such as behavior tendencies, personality traits and mental abilities are also ‘wired in’ before a child is born or whether they are influence by their environment.
What is Bowlby’s theory of attachment?
It is a biological perspective of development (nature) as it explains the bond between mother and child as being an innate process.
What is Chomsky’s proposal in relation to language coming from a biological perspective?
Language is developed through the use of innate language acquisition device.
What is Bandura’s social learning theory based on?
An understanding that the environment influences development (nurture) and that children learn through imitation and role modelling.
What are characteristics and differences not observed at birth but which emerge later in life referred to as ?
Maturation
What is the ‘nature’ perspective based on?
An assumption that all individuals have an inner ‘biological clock’ that determines when and at what rate physical development will progress.
Who is Arnold Gesell ?
A psychologist and pediatrician who was interested in children’s biological maturation ( that part of their growth determined by genetically determined physiological processes).
From 1940s-1950s what did Gesell develop?
A new methodology or ‘normative approach’ to researching child development which involved observing large numbers of children to find the skills and abilities that most children had in each age group.
What was Gesell’s finding used to establish?
The ‘norms’ or milestones for each developmental aspect.
What did Gesell’s notation of the fact that each child moved through the sequence at their own pace mean for his conclusion.
Allowed him to come to the conclusion that development was predetermined and that environment had little influence. If a child experiences delayed development then the problem is heredity rather than the result of the child’s environment and circumstances .
