Nature vs Nurture Flashcards
Nature
Early nativists argued that human characteristics, even aspects of knowledge, are hereditary.
The heritability coefficient is used to assess heredity. It is a numerical figure ranging from 0 to 0.1 which indicates the extent to which a characteristic has a genetic basis.
Nurture
The concept of nurture and environmental influences in psychology requires further clarification as the ‘environment’ is such a broad and all-encompassing concept.
Lerner (1986) has identified different levels of the environment. These may be defined in quite narrow pre-natal terms, for instance, the mothers physical and psychological state during pregnancy, or more generally through post-natal experiences such as the social conditions the child grows up in the cultural and historical context they are part of.
Relative Importance
Nature and nurture are so closely intertwined, it is difficult to actually separate the two.
Concordance Rates
The rate of probability that two people with shared genes will develop the same organic disease
The Interactionist Approach
The idea that nature and nurture are linked to each other to such an extent that researchers should not separate the two, instead they should study how they interact and influence each other
Diathesis-Stress Model
Models of mental illness which emphasis the interaction of nature and nurture tend to be the most persuasive. The diathesis-stress model suggests that psychopathology is caused by a biological vulnerability (the diathesis) which is only expressed when coupled with a biological or environmental ‘trigger’ (the stressor).
Tienari et al (2004) found that in a group of Finnish adoptees those most likely to develop schizophrenia has biological relatives with a history of the disorder and had relationships with their adoptive families that were as ‘dysfunctional’ (the trigger).
Epigenetics
We are all born with a genetic code. Throughout life factors can leave epigenetic “marks” on our DNA. (War, pollution, diet, smoking etc.).
These marks may influence the genetic codes which are ultimately passed onto our children and grandchildren.
Brian Dias and Kerry Ressler (2014) gave male lab mice electric shocks every time they were exposed to the smell of a chemical used in perfume. As many behaviourists would predict, the mice showed a fear reaction as soon as the scent was presented. Surprisingly, the rats children also feared the smell – even though they had not been exposed to it before or received any shocks. So did their grandchildren.
A03 - Constructivism
P: Another strength suggesting that it is impossible to separate nature and nurture is constructivism.
E: This is elaborating the notion that genes and environment interact as people create their own ‘nurture’ by actively selecting environments that are appropriate for their ‘nature’
E: Thus a naturally aggressive child is likely to feel more comfortable around children who show similar behaviours and will choose their environment accordingly. This environment then affects their development.
L: This shows that it is impossible and illogical to try to separate nature and nurture influences on behaviour.
A03 - Implications of Nativism
P: A limitation of the nature side of the debate is that because of a deterministic view, associated research can be considered unethical.
E: For example, it is deterministic as it suggests that ‘anatomy is destiny’ in that our inherited genetic makeup determines our characteristics and behaviour whilst the environment has little input.
E: This is an issue because it has led to controversy such as that which attempted to link race, genetics and intelligence. Shockley (1952) sparked controversy by claiming that there might be genetic reasons that black people in America tended to score lower on IQ tests than whites.
L: As a result, just taking the nature side of the debate can lead to ethical implications, particularly when researching socially sensitive subjects.
A03 - Implications of Empiricism
P: A limitation of the nurture side of the debate is that, empiricists suggest that any behaviour can be changed by altering environmental conditions and ignoring genetics.
E: For example, Behaviour shaping (a behaviourist concept)which is a practical application in therapy shows us that desirable behaviours are selectively reinforced, and undesirable behaviours are punished or ignored.
E: This means that in extreme terms, this may lead one to advocate a model of society that controls and manipulates its citizens using these techniques.
L: Therefore this weakens the credibility of the nurture side of the debate as it is suggesting that humans have no power over their action which causes controversy.
A03 - Shared and Unshared environments
P: A strength of the nature-nurture debate which shows us that the two cannot be separated is the idea of shared an unshared environments.
E: This suggests that individual differences mean that siblings may experience life events differently as they may not have experienced the exact same upbringing whist being raised in the same family.
E: This would explain the finding that even MZ twins reared together do not show perfect concordance rates.
L: This supports the view that heredity and the environment cannot be meaningfully separated.
