Nature-nurture Debate

Question 1

What is meant by the nature-nurture debate

Answer 1

Concerned with the extent to which behaviour is a product of innate or environmental influences

Question 2

What is the nature stance in behaviours

Answer 2

Aspects of human behaviours are innate hereditary (traits that are passed from parents to offspring)

Question 3

What are the philosophical origins of nature

Answer 3

Renee Descartes’ nativism

Question 4

State 2 research examples which support the nature side of the debate

Answer 4

1. Candidate genes (COMT and SERT) in the development of OCD
2. Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment- humans have an innate tendency to form attachments with a caregiver giving us an adaptive advantage

Question 5

What is the nurture stance on behaviour

Answer 5

We are born as blank slates (‘tabula rasa’) and experience dictates who we are and our behaviour

Question 6

What are philosophical origins of nurture

Answer 6

John Locke’s empiricism

Question 7

State 2 research examples which support the nurture side of the debate

Answer 7

1. Use of systematic desensitisation and flooding to treat phobias
2. Learning theory of attachment caused by classical or operant conditioning

Question 8

What is the interactionist approach

Answer 8

The view that the processes of nature and nurture work together rather than in opposition

Question 9

State 2 research examples for an interactionist approach for the nature-nurture debate

Answer 9

1. Epigenetics
2. Diathesis-stress model for psychopathology

Question 10

What is epigenetics

Answer 10

Changes in genetic activity due to interaction with environment

Question 11

What is a study which shows evidence of epigenetics

Answer 11

Dias and Ressler (2014)

Question 12

What was the procedure of Dias and Ressler (2014)

Answer 12

• gave male lab mice electric shocks every time they were exposed to the smell of acetophenone, a chemical used in perfume
• the mice showed a fear reaction as soon as the scent was presented

Question 13

What were the findings of Dias and Ressler (2014)

Answer 13

• the rats’ children also feared the smell- even though they hadn’t been exposed to acetophenone before or received any shocks. So did their grandchildren

Question 14

What is the diathesis-stress model

Answer 14

-psychopathology is caused by a biological vulnerability (diathesis) which is only expressed when coupled with a biological or environmental trigger (stressor)

Question 15

What is a study which shows evidence for a diathesis-stress model and therefore supporting an interactionist approach in the nature-nurture debate

Answer 15

Tienari at al. (2004)

Question 16

How does the Tienari et al. Study show support for a diathesis-stress model

Answer 16

Found in a group of adoptees those most likely to develop schizophrenia had biological relatives with a history of the disorder (diathesis) and relationships with their adoptive families that were dysfunctional (stress)

Question 17

What is a practical application for the nature-nurture debate

Answer 17

Nature= development of drug therapies to treat behavioural of psychological problems
Nurture= behaviour shaping, interventions for criminal behaviour