Nature-nurture Debate Flashcards
What is nature debate
Human characteristics are innate and the result of heredity
What is the heritability coefficient
Numerical figure ranging from 0 to 1 which indicates the extent to which a characteristic has a genetic basis
What is nurture
Any influence on human behaviour that is non-genetic, mind is a blank slate at birth and behaviour is determined by learning experiences in the environment
Should nature and nurture be separated
So closely intertwined that practically and theoretically it makes little sense trying to separate the two
What is the interactionalist approach to nature and nurture (best)
Idea that nature and nurture are linked to such an extent that it does not make sense to separate the two, instead study how they interact eg diathesis stress model to explaining depression
What is diathesis-stress model
Psychopathology is caused by a genetic vulnerability which is only expressed when coupled with an environmental trigger
What is epigenetics
Change in our genetic activity without changing our genetic code caused by interaction with environment, aspects of our lifestyle leave epigenetic marks on DNA which tell our body which genes to ignore or use, can be passed from one generation to the next
Is behaviourist nature or nurture
Nurture-born as blank slate and behaviour learnt
Is SLT nature or nurture
Nurture- behaviour learnt from observation and vicarious reinforcement
Is cognitive approach nature or nurture
Both, behaviour is the product of IMPS which can be innate (eg memory processing) and modified by experience causing schemas
Is biological approach nature or nurture
Nature- biological factors eg neurochemistry and genes which are innate
Is psychodynamic approach nature or nurture
Mainly nature-born with innate drives however environment also has an impact as shaped by early childhood experiences
Is humanistic approach nature or nurture
Mostly nurture- behaviour shaped by environment as humans strive to achieve self-actualisation
Example of research to support diathesis stress model
Tienari found that in a group of Finnish adoptees those most likely to develop SZ had biological relatives with a history of the disorder (vulnerability) and has relationships with their adoptive families defined as dysfunctional (trigger)
Evidence to support epigenetics
Dias gave male lab mice electric shocks every time they were exposed to the smell of a chemical used in perfume, as behaviourists would predict the mice showers a fear reaction as soon as the scent was presented but their children also feared the smell even though they had not been exposed to the chemical before or received any shocks
Implication of nativism (belief our inherited genetic make up determines behaviour)
-extreme determinist stance has led to controversy eg attempting to link race, genetics and intelligence
-could potentially lead to eugenics policies in which individuals with genes for undesirable traits are not allowed to have children, socially sensitive so must be cautious in how this approach is applied
Implications of empiricists (any behaviour can be changed by altering environmental conditions)
-behaviour shaping which is a behaviourist concept has had practical application in therapy
-desirable behaviours are selectively reinforced and undesirable behaviours are punished/ignored
-practical application which has led to the improvement of quality of life for patients
Expand on application of nurture influencing nature in terms of brain plasticity
-brains ability to change is partly determined by genetics, humans are born with neural structures that enable plasticity eg synaptic pruning and myelination
-however nurture also plays a role eg learning, trauma and environmental stimuli shape neural pathways
-study on London taxi drivers (Maguire) found extensive navigation experience increases hippocampal volume, illustrating experience driven plasticity
-functional recovery after brain injury highlights how the environ (eg rehabilitation) influences neural reorganisation
-suggests both influence each other, no value in separating
Expand on implication that there is real world application of not separating the two if we want the best treatment options
-Tarrier compared the effectiveness of CBT, antipsychotic medication and a combination of both in treating SZ
-found greater improvement with the combined treatment showing significantly higher effectiveness that just medication/CBT alone
-more value in studying the interaction of nature and nurture giving greater QoL
Expand on limitation that it is not possible to separate nature and nurture
-research attempting to eliminate influence of environment is complicated by the fact that even siblings raised within the same family may not have experienced exactly the same upbringing
-idea of shared and unshared environments suggests individual differences mean siblings may experience life events differently eg age/temperament would mean that a life event eg parental divorce would have a different meaning to each sibling
-would explain finding that even MZ twins reared together do not show perfect concordance rates, supports view that heredity and environ cannot be meaningfully separated
