Nature/Nurture Flashcards
What is the Nurture side of the debate?
Suggests that behaviour is influenced by our upbringings and learned from the environment around us and lifetime experiences
What is the nature side of the debate?
suggests that behaviour is the result of innate, biological factors
How does Moray relate to the nature side of the debate?
our ability to attend to different auditory messages is the result of innate brain processes
How does Kohlberg relate to the nature side of the debate?
argues that we go through stages of moral development as we get older which are universal and not influenced by cultural differences (therefore likely to be based on nature)
How does Chaney relate to the nurture side of the debate?
behaviour is influenced and learned through reinforcement (children learned to use their Funhaler correctly through the fun reward it provided)
How does Lee relate to the nurture side of the debate?
cultural differences DO impact children’s moral development (e.g. differences between Chinese and Canadian children as a result of learning about modesty)
What are the strengths of claiming that behaviour is due to nature?
Could be useful in suggesting genetic modification and other biological treatments
Probably not ethnocentric as biological factors would be the same across cultures
It can be scientific in the way that it explains behaviour.
What are the weaknesses of claiming that behaviour is due to nature?
Can be socially sensitive in suggesting a problem someone cannot change about themself
Limited usefulness as it is difficult to change someone’s genetics
Too reductionist to explain behaviour as resulting from simple biological processes
What are the strengths of claiming that behaviour is due to nurture?
Has some support for free will as, unlike nature, it is possible to change nurture.
Practical applications as it suggests that behaviour can be influenced by a child’s upbringing (useful)
What are the weaknesses of claiming that behaviour is due to nurture?
Could be ethnocentric as cultures will differ in how they bring children up
It might be socially sensitive if it leads to parents being blamed for children’s negative behaviours
