nature-nurture debate

Question 1

what is the nature-nurture debate

Answer 1

concerned with extent to which aspects of behaviour are product of inherited/acquired characteristics

Question 2

interactionist approach

Answer 2

way of explaining development of behaviour in terms of range of factors, incl bio/psych ones = interact with each other

Question 3

why is the nature-nurture debate not really a ‘debate’

Answer 3

any behaviour/characteristic arises from combo of both, psychologists more likely to ask what relative contribution of each influence is

Question 4

diathesis-stress model

Answer 4

suggests behaviour caused by biological/environmental vunerability (diathesis), only expressed when coupled with biological/environmental trigger/stressor

Question 5

example of how nature and nurture interact

Answer 5

bowlby claimed baby attachment type determined by warmth/continued parental love (nurture), kagan proposed baby innate personality/temperament also affects attachment relationship (nature)

Question 6

what is epigenetics

Answer 6

refers to change in genetic activity without changing genes themselves = occurs throughout life due to interaction with environment
- switches genes on and off

can go on and influence genetic code of our children and their children

Question 7

nature vs nurture

Answer 7

nature = inherited influences, e.g., psychological characteristics like intelligence/personality determined by biological factors = genes

nurture = influence of experiences/environment
- includes prenatal/postnatal factors

Question 8

how is nature and nurture measured

Answer 8

degree to which 2 ppl similar on particular trait = represented by correlation coefficient = called concordance
- provides estimated extent of heritability

Question 9

what is heritability

Answer 9

proportion of differences between individuals in population, regarding particular trait due to genetic variation

figure of .01 = genes contribute almost nothing
figure of 1.0 = genes only reason

Question 10

strength of research into nature-nurture debate

Answer 10

use of adoption studies
= useful because they separate competing influences of nature/nurture

• adopted children found to be more similar to adoptive parents = environment bigger influence, vs opp. if more similar to biological parents

rhee and waldman adoption studies metaanalysis = genetic influences accounted for 41% of variance in aggression

= shows research can seperate influences of nature/nurture

Question 11

further strength of debate

Answer 11

IRL app.
= research suggests OCD highly heritable mental disorder
= inform genetic counselling as it is important to understand high heritability does not mean development is inevitable
= means those of high genetic risk can receive advice about likelihood of development and prevention

= shows debate not just theoretical, important at practical level to understand interaction between nature/nurture

Question 12

further research support for nature-nurture debate

Answer 12

Neural plasticity = example of how nature/nurture interact

= brain can reorganise self by forming new neural connections throughout life
e.g., maguire et al. investigated hippocampi volume of London taxi drivers’ brains = found region of the brain was larger in taxi drivers in comparison to non-taxi drivers

= concluded driving a taxi (nurture) actually had effect on size of hippocampi (nature)