evaluation of nature v nurture debate

Question 1

negative implications of nativism and empiricism

Answer 1

POINT: nativism suggests that “anatomy is destiny” which means that our genetic make up determines our characteristics and behaviour - the environment has very little input

EVIDENCE: This is an extreme determinist stance that has led to controversy e.g. the attempt to link race, genetics and intelligence
- the application of eugenics

POINT: in contrast but also controversially - empiricists would suggest that only behaviour can be changed by altering environmental conditions

EVIDENCE: desirable behaviours are selected and reinforced and undesirable behaviours are punished/ ignored

EXPLANATIONS: In extreme terms, this may lead to advocate a model of society that controls and manipulates its citizens using these techniques

Question 2

It is hard to tease out the effects of the environment

Answer 2

POINT: research attempting to “tease out” the influence of the environment is complicated by the fact that even siblings raised within the same family may not have experienced exactly the same upbringing

EVIDENCE:
Judy Dunn and Robert Plomin (1990) suggests that individual differences mean that siblings may experience life events differently e.g. age/ temperament would mean that life event such as parental divorce would have a different meaning to each sibling

EXPLANATION:
this would explain the finding that even MZ twins received together do not show perfect concordance rates which supports the view that heredity and the environment cannot be meaningfully separated

Question 3

It is impossible to separate nature influences

Answer 3

POINT: it is impossible to separate nature influences

EVIDENCE: people tend to create their own nurture by actively selecting environments that are appropriate to their nature. Thus a naturally aggressive child is likely to feel more comfortable around children who show similar behaviors and “choose” their environment

EXPLANATION: This is further evidence that it is impossible and illogical to try to separate nurture

Question 4

what did Robert Plomin refer to constructivism as

Answer 4

niche - picking and niche-building

Question 5

relationship to other debates

Answer 5

POINT: a strong commitment to either a nature or nurture position that corresponds to a belief in hard determinism

EVIDENCE: the nativist perspective would suggest that “anatomy of destiny” whilst empiricist would argue that interaction with the environment is all

EXPLANATION: this equates to biological determinism and environmental determinism respectively

Question 6

genotype-environment interaction

Answer 6

POINT: Sandra Scarr and Kathleen McCartney (1983) have put forward a theory of gene-environment interaction that includes 3 types

EVIDENCE:

• passive interaction
• evocative interaction
• active interaction

EXPLANATION:
This points towards a complex and multi-layered relationship between nature and nurture

IMPACT
This suggests that nature v nurture should not be interpreted separately but rather together in order to get a better understanding of human behaviour

Question 7

what is passive interaction

Answer 7

parents genes influence the way they treat their children

Question 8

what is evocative interaction

Answer 8

the child’s genes influence and shape the environment in which they grow up

Question 9

what is active interaction

Answer 9

the child creates its own environment through the people and experiences it selects
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