Nature and Nurture

Question 1

What is nature vs nurture

Answer 1

Degree to which human behaviour is determined by genetic biology (nature) or learned through interacting with the environment (nurture)

Question 2

What is the physiological background from Decartes

Answer 2

Nativists
Human characteristics are innate
Includes some knowledge
Behaviour is result of heredity

Question 3

What is the physiological background from Locke

Answer 3

Empiricist
Mind is a blank slate at birth upon which learning and experience writes
Behaviour is result of environment

Question 4

Nature arguments

Answer 4

Behaviour caused by innate characteristics
-Physiological/biological characteristics we are born with
Behaviour is therefore determined by biology

Question 5

What is the determinist view of the debate

Answer 5

All behaviour is determined by hereditary factors, inherited characteristics, or genetic make-up we are born with
All possible behaviours are said to be present from conception
Genes provide the blueprint for all behaviours, some present from birth, others pre-programmed to emerge with age

Question 6

How do we assess nature

Answer 6

The heritability coefficient is used to assess heredity
Numerical figure ranging from 0-1.0 which indicates the extent to which a characteristic has a genetic basis (1-entirely genetically determined)

Question 7

What is Plomin’s view on the heritability for IQ

Answer 7

0.5
Therefore is half nature half nurture

Question 8

Nurture arguments

Answer 8

Individual’s behaviour is determined by the environment (things people teach them, what they observe, and the situations they are in)

Question 9

How is nurture determinist view

Answer 9

Proposes all human behaviour is the result of interactions with the environment
Behaviourist theories are nurture theories
-Behaviour is shaped by interactions with the environment
No limit to what they can achieve
-Depends on quality of external influence and not genes

Question 10

What do we mean by the environment w nurture

Answer 10

Very broad term
Lerner (1986) suggests are different types of environment
-Mother’s physical state during pregnancy (e.g. drugs and alcohol)
-Social conditions
-Cultural and historical context

Question 11

How does nurture affect nature and what is this called

Answer 11

Phenotypes (influence expression of genes to be something different to genotype, e.g. malnutrition = small height)
Interactionist approach

Question 12

What behaviours are a result of interactions between nature and nurture

Answer 12

Temperament - how active, responsive or emotional an infant is influences in part their caregivers responses
Sex - people tend to react differently to boys and girls due to expectations of masculine and feminine characteristics
Aggression - displaying aggressive behaviour create particular responses from other people

Question 13

What is a practical application of nature

Answer 13

Drug therapies can be developed to treat behavioural or psychological problems that have a physiological origin
e.g. SSRIs can be used to treat depression n Ritalin for ADHD

Question 14

What is practical application for nurture

Answer 14

If behaviour is susceptible to environmental influences we need to consider how we adapt our environment
e.g. To promote helping behaviour, enhance learning, reduce aggression and decrease criminality
BUT
Where does learning fit?

Question 15

What is an example of extreme nature arguments

Answer 15

Nativists suggest anatomy is destiny
Has led to horrific discrimination and fails to challenge negative stereotypes
e.g. deny women opportunities, racial purity, social discrimination over intelligence

Question 16

What are 2 negative evaluations of nativists

Answer 16

Extremely deterministic stance
Provides justification for studies which link race, genetics and intelligence (Goddard-link to bias)
Lambroso believe that criminality was inherited and identified by physical features - criticised by DeLisi (2012) the racial undertones of his work and links to the eugenics movement

Question 17

What is a +ve evaluation for nurture

Answer 17

Suggestion that behaviour can be changed by altering environmental conditions has led to practical application in therapy
e.g. token economy in prisons (modifying behaviour), anger management (cognitive behaviour treatment)

Question 18

What is a +ve evaluation of the interaction between N and N

Answer 18

Shared and unshared environments
Dunn and Plomin (1990) = suggests that individual differences mean that siblings may experience life events differently
MZ twins raised together do not show 100% concordance rates

Question 19

What is a positive evaluation for interaction between the 2 approaches

Answer 19

Constructivism
Idea that people create their own ‘nurture’ by actively seeking environments appropriate for their nature, e.g. an aggressive child choosing aggressive friends
Plomin 1994 = refers to this as niche picking and niche building, suggests would be impossible to separate nature and nurture