Interactionist

Question 1

Interactionist Approach

Answer 1

• A centre ground position that argues both nature and nurture together determine our behaviour.
• Most modern psychologists would accept that the evidence is stacking up for an interactionist explanation of behaviour.
• As soon as we are born we are exposed to environment and so the task of disentangling genes from nurturing is impossible.

Question 2

Example of Interactionist Approach

Answer 2

• As seen in schizophrenia, twin studies are limited due to shared environments.
• Even in early adoption studies it is difficult to really establish just how different adoptive families are from biological families or exactly when the children were removed from biological family.
• Interactionist approach is neither a strength nor a weakness as it is a middle position as opposed to two extreme positions

Question 3

Diathesis-stress

Answer 3

• One way of considering Interactionist position through diathesis-stress model.
• Genetic vulnerability of having certain genes which predispose us to an illness or behaviour.
• Stress element refers to experiences we have which may trigger the illness in waiting.
• Individuals nature is only expressed under particular conditions of nurture.