Issues and debates - nature vs nurture Flashcards
what is the nature-nurture debate?
concerned with the extent to which behaviour is the product of inherited or acquired characteristics
who is Rene Descartes?
an early nativist.
argued that all human characteristics are innate
what is the argument of the nature side of the debate?
psychological characteristics like intelligence or personality are determined by biological factors - inherited characteristics
what is the argument of the nurture side of the debate?
behaviour is shaped by the environment - acquired characteristics
who is John Locke?
an empiricist who argued that the mind is a blank slate which is shaped by the environment
who identified the levels of the environment?
Lerner (1968)
what are the levels of the environment?
pre-natal: mother’s physical and psychological state during pregnancy
post-natal experiences: the social conditions and cultural context
what is the heritability coefficient?
used to assess heredity.
it ranges from 0-1 to indicate the extent to which a characteristic has a genetic basis.
studies have shown the heritability coefficient for IQ is 0.5 - suggests both genetics and environment are important
the interactionist approach
looks at how nature and nurture interact.
For example, attachment between the infant and its parents is often the result of the child’s innate temperament and its influence on the parents response.
diathesis-stress model
behaviour is caused by biological vulnerability which is only expressed when triggered by an environmental stressor - e.g Schizophrenia
what is epigenetics?
interaction with the environment causes change to gene expression
counterpoint: limitations of adoption studies
difficult to control the environmental factors from biological parents as many adoptees maintain contact, and it’s unlikely they were adopted from birth.
can be difficult to separate influences - doesn’t tell us which is most influential
strength: adoption studies
separates the competing influences and can help to find which is more influential in shaping a particular trait.
e.g Tienari et al (2004) found 7% prevalence rate for Schizophrenia amongst adoptees with mother who had the condition compared to 2% in control group - suggests genetic cause.
strength - real-world application
research had suggested that OCD is highly heritable - coefficient of .76
this can inform genetic counselling - people with high genetic risk can receive advice about likelihood and prevention.
strength - research support for epigenetics
1944: Dutch Hunger Winter
Susser and Lin 91992) found that women who became pregnant during the famine gave birth to low-weight babies who are 2x more likely to develop Schizophrenia.
