Nature/ Nurture

Question 1

Key concepts?

Answer 1

Nature:
Characteristics determined by genes that may be present at birth or appear later as you mature.

Nurture:
Behaviour learned through experience and interactions with the experience.

Question 2

Application?

Answer 2

Eugenics:
Aims to improve the quality of humans through selective breeding only improves quality if the behaviour (IQ) is inherited.

Question 3

Links to core studies?

Answer 3

Bandura:
Are children born to be aggressive (nature) or do they learn it (nurture)?

Milgram:
Considered why people obey authority and speculated that we have a genetic tendency to be obedient (nature)

Question 4

Similarities and differences?

Answer 4

Similarities:
Nature and nurture are both similar to determinism (genetic and environmental influences can control our behaviour and there is very little we can do about it)

differences:
Nurture is similar to (and nature is different from) situational explanations (both explain environmental influences)

Question 5

Evaluations?

Answer 5

+ Interactionist
Makes us consider what makes each of us unique - a mix of our genetic make-up and life experiences.

• Reductionist
  The debate suggests the answer is neither nature or nurture when it is always a combination of both.