Issues & Debates- The Nature-Nurture Debate Flashcards
The nature-nurture debate -
Concerned with the extent to which aspects of behaviour are a product of inherited or acquired characteristics.
Heredity -
The genetic transmission of mental and physical characteristics from one generation to another.
Environment -
Any influence on human behaviour that is non-genetic. This may range from pre-natal influences in the womb through to cultural and historical influences at a societal level.
The interactionist approach -
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.
The nature-nurture debate has a long history in psychology. Who argued that human characteristics and knowledge are innate, and who argued that the mind is a blank slate at birth?
Early nativists like René Descartes argued that human characteristics and knowledge are innate, while empiricists like John Locke argued that the mind is a blank slate at birth.
What is the heritability coefficient, and what does a value of 1 indicate?
The heritability coefficient is a numerical figure ranging from 0 to 1.0, indicating the extent to which a characteristic has a genetic basis. A value of 1 means it is entirely genetically determined.
What is the general figure for heritability in IQ across multiple studies, and what does this suggest?
The general figure for heritability in IQ is around 0.5, suggesting that both genetics and the environment are important factors in intelligence.
How does Richard Lerner define the different levels of the environment in the context of nurture?
Richard Lerner defines the environment in narrow pre-natal terms, such as the mother’s physical and psychological state during pregnancy, and more broadly through post-natal experiences like social conditions, cultural context, and historical context.
Why is the nature-nurture question practically impossible to answer?
The nature-nurture question is practically impossible to answer because environmental influence begins as soon as a child is born (or earlier), and nature and nurture are so closely intertwined that separating the two makes little sense.
What challenge arises in twin studies regarding nature and nurture?
In twin studies, it is often difficult to determine whether high concordance rates are due to shared genetics or shared upbringing.
How has the focus of the nature-nurture debate changed in recent years?
The focus has shifted to asking what the relative contribution of each influence (nature and nurture) is in terms of what we think and what we do.
What is the interactionist approach in the context of nature and nurture?
The interactionist approach suggests that nature and nurture interact, as seen in attachment patterns where a child’s innate temperament influences parental responses, which in turn affect the child’s behavior.
What does the diathesis-stress model propose about psychopathology?
The diathesis-stress model proposes that psychopathology is caused by a biological/genetic vulnerability (diathesis) that is expressed when coupled with a biological or environmental trigger (stressor).
What did Pikka Tienari et al. (2004) find in their study of Finnish adoptees and schizophrenia?
They found that adoptees most likely to develop schizophrenia had biological relatives with a history of the disorder (vulnerability) and dysfunctional relationships with their adoptive families (trigger).
What is epigenetics, and how does it introduce a third element into the nature-nurture debate?
Epigenetics refers to changes in genetic activity without altering the genetic code, caused by interaction with the environment. It introduces the life experiences of previous generations as a third element in the debates.
What did Brian Dias and Kerry Ressler (2014) demonstrate with their experiment on mice and acetophenone?
They demonstrated that mice conditioned to fear a smell passed this fear response to their children and grandchildren, even though the offspring had never been exposed to the smell or shocks.
What are the implications of nativism and empiricism?
Nativism suggests that inherited genetic makeup determines characteristics and behavior, while empiricism argues that behavior can be changed by altering environmental conditions.
What is behavior shaping, and how has it been applied in therapy?
Behavior shaping is a behaviorist concept where desirable behaviors are reinforced and undesirable behaviors are punished or ignored. It has been applied in therapy to modify behavior.
What is the concept of shared and unshared environments introduced by Judy Dunn and Robert Plomin (1990)?
Shared and unshared environments refer to the idea that even siblings raised in the same family may experience life events differently due to individual differences like age or temperament.
What does constructivism propose about the interaction of genes and environment?
Constructivism proposes that people create their own nurture by actively selecting environments that match their nature, such as a naturally aggressive child choosing to be around similar children.
What are niche-picking and niche-building according to Robert Plomin (1994)?
Niche-picking and niche-building refer to the process where individuals select and create environments that align with their genetic predispositions, making it impossible to separate nature and nurture influences.
What are the three types of gene-environment interaction proposed by Sandra Scarr and Kathleen McCartney (1983)?
The three types are passive interaction (parents’ genes influence how they treat their children), evocative interaction (child’s genes shape their environment), and active interaction (child creates its own environment).
How does the nativist perspective align with biological determinism, and how does empiricism align with environmental determinism?
The nativist perspective aligns with biological determinism by suggesting that anatomy is destiny, while empiricism aligns with environmental determinism by arguing that interaction with the environment shapes behavior.
How could the nature-nurture debate be seen as less determinist, and how is constructivism similar to reciprocal determinism?
The debate could be seen as less determinist by emphasizing the interaction between nature and nurture. Constructivism is similar to reciprocal determinism as both highlight the dynamic interplay between individuals and their environments.
