Nature & Nurture Flashcards
Explain the difference between the nature and nurture explanations.
Nature-Idea that behav is innate and determined by predetermined biological factors such as genetics.
Nurture- The idea that behav is developed through learning, observation, socialisation, and ‘nurturing’. Individuals have free will and can choose what behaviour they display.
Why is this an issue in society?
It changes the way that we view human behaviour and the potential to change it. If a behaviour is seen to be deterministic by nature, it suggests that genetics and brain structure are fixed and can’t be changed.
Why is this a debate in psychology?
It is a debate because different theorists in psychology emphasise different elements when trying to explain behaviour.
How do we use twin studies to investigate nature-nurture?
One way of investigating the nature-nurture debate is to study twins. There are two types of twins, monozigotic and dizigotic. MZ twins share 100% of their DNA whilst DZ twins share only 50%. Twin studies measure concordance rates that tell us the percentage of cases where a behaviour occurs in both twins. If the behaviour is genetic, we’d expect the concordance rate to be higher amoungst MZ twins becuase they are more genetically similar.
How do we use adoption studies to investigate nature-nurture?
Adoption studies are carried out because the environment of adopted children is not the same as that of their biological families, yet they have genetics in common. The problem is that children ususally have both genes and the environment in common. Reseachers can therefore use adoption studies to eliminate this problem. If adopted children are more similar to their adoptive parents on a characteristic, we can assume this characteristic results from nurture.
How do we use cross cultural studies to investigate nature-nurture?
By studying populations in different cultures we can determine if a characteristic is due to the environment or if it has a genetic base. If the charcateristic is found in every culture we can say that it is likely to be a result of nature whereas if it is not found in every culture it can be said to be due to nurture.
Describe the nature and nurture elements of cognitive psychology.
Nature
The computer processing model- we are born with the basic brain parts that have a basic function that cannot be changed
Lots of ideas are universal e.g. memory span, confabulation.
Baddeley- Memory encoding & processing (nature)
Application-learning techniques (nurture)
Nurture
The way that we decide which information to process is due to our experiences and individual differences
Schemas are unique to each individual
Describe the nature and nurture elements of social psychology.
Nature
Personality is something we’re born with
From an evolutionary bias we have evolved to form groups to survive
Nurture
Authoritarian personality theory says we learn our personality as a result of our parents opinions when we are children
socialisation
Obedience- agency theory which states that we follow orders of authority figures
Social impact theory
Describe the nature and nurture elements of biological psychology.
Nature
Genes, brin structure, hormones, evolution all link to aggression, criminality and mental illness
Nurture
Drug abuse is a choice and this life decision affects neurotransmitters and hormones
Brain plasticity- (McGuire) London taxi drivers who have to know lots of routes have a denser hippocampus
Describe the nature and nurture elements of learning psychology.
Nature
Reflexes are inate as is the tendency to learn by association and reward
Nurture
Gender appropriate behaviours are learnt through role models
Social learning theory and operant conditioning
We learn through association
Phobias are learnt not innate
Watson & Rayner(1920)
Pairing of stimuli (nurture)
Involuntary/ reflex response (nature)
Describe the nature and nurture elements of criminal psychology
Nature
XYY as an explanation for aggression however this only links to males
Damage to brain structure and amygdala
Genetic factors
Raine et al
Nurture
Labelling and self fulfilling prophecy
Role models and social learning theory
Describe the nature and nurture elements of clinical psychology.
Nature
Glutamate hypothesis
Dopamine hypothesis
Nurture
Rosenhan
Treatment of patients & diagnosis (nurture)
social causation
General evals
Interactionist
>Diathesis stress model
P- For Sz
E-Argues a genetic predisposition and an environmental trigger are required for a condition to develop. Finnish Adoption study compared 155 adopted children whose bio mothers had Sz w a matched group of children w no family history of Sz. Also tested quality of parenting via questionnaires & interviews, found group w Sz mothers had 10% rate of Sz & all cases occured in families rated ‘disturbed’. ‘Healthy’ families even in high risk Sz sample found low rate of Sz.
E-S, provides evidence for nature & nurture to explain Sz
Hard to separate nature & nurture
Animal studies-animals have qual differences to humans so difficult to test for effect of nature & nurture
