L4 - Nature/Nurture

Question 1

What is the debate about?

Answer 1

• Relative contribution of each influence in determining an indviduals behaviour
• Nature: assumes heredity, genes & hormones are more important
• Nurture: assumes that the env and a person’s experiences are more important

Question 2

What theory does nature follow?

Answer 2

• Nativist theory

- Abilities and knowledge are innate - any characteristics determined by genes

Question 3

What things support nature?

Answer 3

• Bio app offers genetic explanations e.g concordance for schizophrenia. MZ = 40%, DZ = 7%, closer concordance rates for more genes shared show genes are major for mental dosorders
• Evolutionary explanations: characteristics that promote survival & reproduction will be naturally selected. Bowlby said attachment is adaptive as an infant will be more likely to be protected and survive. It also promotes close relationships, fostering successful reproduction.

Question 4

What theory does nurture follow?

Answer 4

• Empiricist theory: knowledge derives from learning.
• Environmental influences are acquired through interactions with env including physical and social world.
• Pre-natal env influences count e.g smoking while pregnant

Question 5

What things support nurture?

Answer 5

• Behavioural: all behaviour can be explained with experiences e,g babies attach to mums becayse they associate them woth pleasure from food
• Social Learning Theory: less extreme. Studies show that aggression is learnt through observing the behaviour of others. The way it is expressed is acquired through env influences. (Aggression is biological)
• Double bind theory of schiz: Schiz develops in kids who get contradictory messages from their parents. Mixed messages prevent the child devloping an internally consistent construction of reality

Question 6

Evaluation

Answer 6

• Interactionist approach says both are intertwined closely, doesnt make sense to separate them. IQ can be inherited 0.5, meaning both genes and the env are important in determining intelligence
• Diathesis stress models emphasise interactions of nature and nurture e.g in schiz, the genes are present but are triggered by the env. With Finnish adoptees, those most likely to get schiz had biological relatives with schiz and dysfunction family relationships
• Nature can affect nurture. As children get older, they seek experiences that suit their genes. Influence of genetics increases with age
• Studies show nurture affects nature. London taxi drivers have a larger hippocampus than controls as it deals with spatial memory. They weren’t born this way
• Epigenetics: change in genetic activity without changing our genetic code. Process that happens throughout life, caused by interaction with env. Lifestyle can leave epigenetic markers on DNA. Ghis tekks our body which genes to ignore and might introduce a third element to the nature nurture debate.