Issues and Debates - Nature/Nurture Debate Flashcards
What is the nature-nurture debate?
The nature-nurture debate is concerned with the extent to which aspects of behavior are a product of inherited or acquired characteristics.
What is heritability?
Heritability refers to the genetic transmission of mental and physical characteristics from one generation to another.
What is meant by the environment in the nature-nurture debate?
Environment refers to any influence on human behavior that is non-genetic. This may range from pre-natal influences in the womb through to cultural and historical influences at a societal level.
What is the interactionist approach in the nature-nurture debate?
The interactionist approach is the idea that nature and nurture are linked to such an extent that it does not make sense to separate the two, so researchers instead study how they interact and influence each other.
What is the relative importance of heredity and environment?
The debate centers on how genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) contribute to individual differences in behavior. For example, studies of IQ have shown heritability rates of around 0.5, suggesting an equal influence of genetics and environment.
What are shared and unshared environments?
Shared environments refer to influences shared by siblings, such as growing up in the same family. Unshared environments refer to unique influences, such as individual experiences outside the home, which contribute to differences even between siblings.
What is one evaluation point about nativism and empiricism?
Point: The implications of nativism and empiricism highlight societal applications of the nature-nurture debate.
Evidence: Nativists suggest that anatomy determines behavior, leading to practices such as eugenics, where only certain individuals reproduce.
Explanation: This deterministic stance can be controversial because it ignores the role of the environment in shaping behavior. Conversely, empiricists focus on learning through experience, which underpins behavioral therapies.
Link: These perspectives provide insight into practical applications, such as treatment approaches in psychology.
What is one evaluation point about shared and unshared environments?
Point: Research into shared and unshared environments provides nuanced evidence for the nature-nurture interaction.
Evidence: Studies of siblings by Dunn and Plomin (1990) revealed that unshared environments, such as different friendships or hobbies, are more significant in explaining individual differences than shared environments.
Explanation: This suggests that nurture operates at an individual level, emphasizing the need to consider personal experiences alongside genetic predispositions.
Link: These findings reinforce the interactionist approach by demonstrating the complexity of environmental contributions.
What is one evaluation point about constructivism?
Point: Constructivism emphasizes how nature and nurture interact dynamically over time.
Evidence: Plomin (1994) referred to this as niche-picking, where individuals actively select environments that align with their genetic predispositions, such as musically talented children seeking music-related activities.
Explanation: This concept illustrates that genes not only influence behavior but also shape environmental exposure, creating a feedback loop that amplifies individual traits.
Link: Constructivism supports the interactionist approach, highlighting how nature and nurture are inextricably linked.
What is one evaluation point about genotype-environment interaction?
Point: Scarr and McCartney’s (1983) theory of genotype-environment interaction provides a detailed framework for understanding the interaction of nature and nurture.
Evidence: They identified three types of interaction: passive (parents influence the child’s environment), evocative (genetic traits elicit certain responses from others), and active (individuals actively choose environments suitable to their genetic predispositions).
Explanation: This framework demonstrates that genetic and environmental factors work together, with genes shaping environmental selection, which in turn affects development.
Link: The model bridges the gap between genetic and environmental influences, illustrating the depth of the interactionist perspective.
