Nature-nurture debate Flashcards
What refers to nature?
Innate (natural) are seen as nature and it does not refer to the abilities present at birth but to any ability determined by genes (like secondary sexual characteristics which appear at puberty).
What refers to nurture?
Environmental infuences are referred to as nurture as they are acquired through interactions with the environments.
What does nurture include that nature doesn’t?
Includes the effects on an infant before birth such as if the mother smokes.
What is an example of the influence of nature in terms of genetic explanations?
Family, twin and adoption studies shows that the closer two individuals are genetically the more likely both of them will develop the same behaviours.
For example, the concordance rate of mental disorders like schizophrenia is 40% for monozygotic twins and 7% for dizygotic twins (Joseph, 2004). This shows the closer the similarity for individuals with he same genes so it shows nature has a major contribution to the disorder.
What is an example of the influence of nature in terms of evolutionary explantions?
Any evolutionary is based on the principle that a behaviour/characteristic that promotes survival and reproduction will be naturally selected as these behaviours/characteristics are adaptive so the genes will be passed to later generations.
For example, Bowlby proposed that attachment was adaptive as it meant an infant was more likely to be protected meaning they would be more likely to survive. Attachement also promotes close relationships which would foster sexual reproduction so attachment behaviours are naturally selected which can be done through genetic mechanisms.
What is an example of the influence of nurture?
In the 17th century, philosopher John Locke described the infant as a blank slate which experience gets written on and this view was adapted by behaviourists.
What is an example on the influence of nurture in terms of behaviourism?
Behaviourists assume that all behaviour can be explained in term of experience and Skinner used to concepts of classical and operant conditioning. For example, behaviourists suggested that attachment could be explained in terms of classical or operant conditioning.
What is an example on the influence of nurture in terms of the social learning theory?
Bandura’s view was less extreme than traditional behaviourists and he proposed that behaviour is acquired through learning, adding a new dimension of indirect vicarious reinforcement. Bandura allowed the fact that biology had a role to play and he acknowledged the urge to act aggressively anf that it might be biological but the way the person learns to express the anger is acquired through environmental influences.
What is an example on the influence of nurture in terms of other examples?
The double blind theory of schizophrenia (Bateson et al, 1956) suggests that schizophrenia develops in children who recieve contradictory messages from their parents such as if a mother says she loves her son but also turn her head away in disgust and these conflicting messages prevent the child from developing an internally consistent construction of reality which could then lead to symptoms of schizophrenia.
How does nature-nurture lead to a political debate?
The contrasting concepts of human nature correlates with constrasting political ideals and nature has been linked with 20th centrury eugenics (enforced selective breeding) as advocated by nazi’s so if nature determines behviour then the human stock can be improved by selective breeding and the US have already practised this.
What is the environment is all idea?
It is a popular with people who believe that any human trait can be altered with the appropriate changes in social institutions and this has led to equally brutal regimes under leaders who believe you can enginner behaviour through conditioning so they would behave as you wanted them to.
What do these political agendas mean?
They mean that arguements for or against nature or nurture may be founded as much as political beliefs as scientific evidence.
