L5 Nature vs Nurture Flashcards
What is the nature nurture debate ?
It is possible that behaviour is governed by nature and by nurture. The naturenurture debate is about the relative contribution of each of these influences in determining an individual’s behaviour. The nature side of the debate assumes that heredity, genes, hormones etc. are more important. The nurture side assumes that the environment and a person’s experiences etc. are more important.
Define nature
Behaviour is seen to be a product of innate (biological or genetic) factors
Define nurture
Behaviour is a product of environmental influences
What is the nature argument rooted in
This is rooted in the nativist theory that knowledge and abilities are innate (a quality or ability you are born with). This does not simply refer to abilities present at birth but to any characteristic determined by genes.
What does the biological approach say about nature
Family, twin and adoption studies show that the closer the relatedness of two people, the more likely it is that they will show the same behaviours. For example, the risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia is approximately 1% of the general population. Also, Joseph (2004) pooled the data for schizophrenia studies conducted before 2001 and found an average concordance rate of 40.4% for MZ twins and 7.4% for DZ twins, highlighting a significant genetic component.
What does evolutionary explanations say about nature
Evolutionary explanations are based on the principle that a characteristic that
promotes survival and reproduction will be naturally selected because it is far more likely to be passed on to subsequent generations. Bowlby (1969) proposed that attachment is adaptive because it means an infant will be more likely to be protected and therefore more likely survive. Attachment also promotes close relationships which would foster successful reproduction.
What theory is nurture rooted in
the empiricist theory that knowledge derives from learning.
Environmental influences are acquired through interactions with the environment. This includes both the physical and the social world and is often referred to as experiences. Pre-natal environmental influences are part of nurture, for example whether or not a mother smokes during pregnancy.
What approach suggest nurture and how
The behavioural approach assumes that all behaviour can be explained in terms
of experience alone. For example, it claims that babies attach to their mothers because they associate them with the pleasure they get from food (classical conditioning). Social learning theory is a little less extreme than traditional
behaviourism.
What studies support nurture
Studies have shown that that behaviour, such as aggression
(Bandura, 1963), is learnt through observing the behaviour of others (nurture) but does acknowledge that the urge to behave aggressively is biological (nature).
The important point is that the way a person expresses anger is acquired through environmental influences.
What is the double bind theory
The double bind theory of schizophrenia. (Bateson et al. 1956) suggests that
schizophrenia develops in children who frequently receive contradictory messages from their parents, for example if a mother tells her son she loves him but at the same time turns her head away in disgust. Such mixed messages about her feelings prevent the child developing an internally consistent construction of reality.
Evaluation of the debate (epigenetics)
Epigenetics refers to a change in our genetic activity without changing our genetic code. It is a process that happens throughout life and is caused by interaction with the environment. Aspects of our lifestyle, from smoking and diet to pollution and war, leave epigenetic markers on our DNA. These marks tell our bodies which genes to ignore and which to use, and in turn, may go on and influence the genetics of our children, and even their children. Epigentics therefore introduces a third element to the nature or nurture debate, the life experiences of the previous generation.
Evaluation of nature nature debate (interactionist appraoch)
According to the Interactionist Approach nature and nurture are so closely
intertwined that it makes little sense to separate them. The general heritability
figure in IQ tests is around 0.5, this means that both genetics and the
environment are important factors in determining an individual’s intelligence
Evaluation of the debate (maquire. supports neural plasticity)
Several studies have shown that nurture affects nature. Maguire et al. (2000) found that London Taxi drivers have a larger hippocampus than a control group.
This is because the hippocampus deals with spatial memory. They were not born this way, the hippocampus has responded to increased use. Neural plasticity means the brain shape can be altered.
Evaluation of the debate (diathesis stress model)
Diathesis Stress Models are models of mental illness which emphasise the interaction of nature and nurture in causing mental illness. This means that a psychopathology, such as depression or schizophrenia, is caused by a genetic vulnerability (diathesis) which is only expressed when there is an environmental trigger (stress). Tienari et al. (2004) found that in a group of Finnish adoptees, those most likely to get schizophrenia had biological relatives with the disorder (genes) and relationships with their adopted family that were dysfunctional (the
environment).
Evaluation of debate (nature can effect nurture)
A person’s nature can affect the nurture they receive. Scarr and McCartney et al. (1983) found that as children get older they seek out experiences that suit their genes. The influence of genetics actually increases as a child gets older.
