issues and debates - nature vs nurture

Question 1

what is nature?

Answer 1

behaviour is pre-determined by innate biological drives and genetic factors.

Question 2

what is heredity?

Answer 2

the genetic transmission of mental and physical characteristics from one generation to another.

Question 3

linking to other topics:

Answer 3

psychopathology = OCD is inherited due to specific genes.
schizophrenia = gottesman (1991).
attachment = bowlby’s evolutionary theory of attachment.

Question 4

what is nurture?

Answer 4

is when human behaviour is influenced by external/ environmental factors.

Question 5

who said we are born as a blank slate

Answer 5

locke

Question 6

linking to other topics:

Answer 6

psychopathology = classical conditioning.
aggression = bandura’s social learning theory.
attachment = classical conditioning.

Question 7

what is the debate about?

Answer 7

concerned with the extent to which aspects of behaviour are a product of inherited or acquired characteristics

Question 8

interactionist approach

Answer 8

this is when nature and nurture work together in influencing behaviour, it also acknowledges biological, psychological and societal factors.

Question 9

diathesis-stress

Answer 9

is caused by biological/ genetic vulnerability (diathesis) which is only expressed when couple with a biological/ environmental trigger (the stressor).

Question 10

tienari (2004)

Answer 10

children from adopted families whose biological mothers where schizophrenia were more likely to develop schizophrenia themselves and families who were assessed to have child-rearing style which was critical and lacking empathy/

Question 11

epigenetics

Answer 11

change in genetic activity without changing our genetic code e.g. smoking, diet, pollution etc.

Question 12

dias and ressler (2014)

Answer 12

lab mice experienced electric shocks every time they smelt a chemical used in perfume, the mice learnt a fear response to the chemical smell.