Nature-nurture debate

Question 1

What is nature?

Answer 1

Behaviour is seen to be the product of innate (biological/genetic) factors

Question 2

What is nurture?

Answer 2

Behaviour is a product of environmental influences

Question 3

What are two explanations of nature?

Answer 3

Genetic explanation
Evolutionary explanations

Question 4

Genetic explanations?

Answer 4

Family, twin and adoption studies show that the closer the two individuals are genetically the more likely that both go them will develop the same behaviours

Question 5

Example of genetic explanations?

Answer 5

The concordance rate for a schizophrenia is about 40% for MZ twins (have identical genes) and 7% for DZ twins (share 50% of genes)

Question 6

Evolutionary explanations?

Answer 6

A behaviours or characteristic that promotes survival and reproduction will be naturally selected- this is because behaviours/characteristics are adaptive and thus the genes are passed on

Question 7

Example of evolutionary explanations?

Answer 7

Bowlby proposed attachment was adaptive because it mean an infant was more likely to be protected and therefore more likely to survive

Question 8

What did Locke say?

Answer 8

Humans are born with a blank slate - ‘a tabula rasa’

Question 9

Examples of the influence of nature?

Answer 9

Behaviourism - All behaviour can be explained in terms of experience (Skinner) using concepts of classical and operant conditioning
Social learning theory - Bandura - behaviour acquired through vicarious reinforcement; he acknowledged biological aspects but the way anger expressed is acquired through environmental influences