I + D: Nature-Nuture Debate

Question 1

About the debate - Interactionist Approach

Answer 1

• not really a debate as all characteristics combine both nature + nurture => environment + heredity interact
  e.g. attachment can be explained by quality of parental love (Bowlby) or child temperament (Kagan)

Question 2

Diathesis-stress model of behaviour

Answer 2

behaviour caused by bio/environmental vulnerability (diathesis) only being expressed with bio/environmental trigger

e.g. inheriting genes for OCD may not cause the disorder unless there’s a psychological trauma triggers its appearance

Question 3

Definition of Epigenetics

Answer 3

Change in genetic activity w/o changing the genetic code
=> lifestyle + events (smoking, diet, trauma) leaves mark on DNA - switching genes on or off
=> has lifelong effect + can be passed down generations

Question 4

Nature - inherited influences

Answer 4

Early nativists argued characteristics are innate - result of genes
=> applies to psychological ones like intelligence or personality - determined by biological factors

Question 5

Nuture - environmental influences

Answer 5

Empiricists argue the mind is a blank slate at birth and shaped by environment e.g. behaviourists

Question 6

Measuring nature + nurture : Concordance

Answer 6

The degree to which 2 ppl are similar to a particular trait

Question 7

Measuring nature + nurture : Heritability

Answer 7

The proportion of differences between individuals in a population, with regards to a particular trait due to genes

• 0.01 (1%) = little contribution, 1.0 (100%) = genes are the only reason

Question 8

(S) of Nature - Nuture Research: Adoption Studies e.g. Rhee + Waldman

Answer 8

• adopted children more similar to adopted parents = environmental influence
• more similar to bio parents = genetic influence

(2002) - meta-analysis of adoption studies that genetic influence accounts for 41% variance in aggression

Suggests => research can separate nature + nurture influence

Question 9

COUNTER: Niche-picking, Plomin

Answer 9

Children create their own nurture by selecting environments appropriate to their nature
e.g. aggressive child => chooses aggressive friends => becomes more so

Suggests => doesn’t make sense to look at evidence of either nature or nuture

Question 10

(S) of the debate: Support for epigenetics through history - Susser + Lin (1992)

Answer 10

Women who became pregnant during 1944 Dutch Hunger Winter were found their babies had low birth weight + were 2 times likely to develop schizophrenia

Suggests => life experiences of previous generations can leave genetic markers that influence health of offspring

Question 11

(S) of the debate: Has real world application - Nestadt (2010)

Answer 11

Heritability for OCD suggests its highly genetic => informs genetic counselling
- those who do have high genetic risk can receive education about inheritance, management and prevention of the disorder

Suggests => debate isn’t just theoretical but important at a practical level, to understand interaction nature + nurture

Question 12

AO3 Extra : Implications of debate

Answer 12

Extreme nativist stance is determinist and has led to controversy e.g. linking ethnicity, genetics and intelligenceti eugenic policies

Empiricists suggest that any behaviour can be changed by altering environmental conditions =>controlling society

Suggests => both positions in extremes may have dangerous consequences for society => moderate interactionist is best