nature vs nurture Flashcards
interactionism
-nature and nurture interact to shaper behaviour rather than separately e.g someone family beh and genetics can increase their risk of SZ
diathesis stress
-genetic vulnerability combined w env stress trigger disorders e.g genetics may increase risk of SZ but w illness might trigger it
epigentics
-env factors impact gene expression w altering DNA sequence e,g so,some may exp trauma that alters their dna and put them at risk of SZ and passed to kids
heredity
-pass genetic traits from parents to offspring through DNA e.g someome might inherit an increased risk of SZ
nature as heredity ?
Traits and characteristics are inherited (genes), similar to physical traits like height
or eye colour.
○ René Descartes (1596-1650): Believed some knowledge and traits are innate.
○ Intelligence and personality are largely biologically determined.
nurture in terms of the env?
Traits develop through experience and surroundings.
○ John Locke (1632-1704): Proposed the mind is a blank slate (tabula rasa), shaped
by environment.
○ Richard Lerner (1986): Environment includes prenatal (e.g., smoking, music) and
postnatal (e.g., social conditions) influences.
measuring nature and nurture
Concordance rate: Measures similarity in traits using correlation coefficients.
○ Heritability: The proportion of a trait caused by genetics (ranges from 0 to 1).
○ IQ heritability ≈ 0.5 (Plomin, 1994), meaning intelligence is 50% genetic, 50% env
importance of epigenic research
Epigenetic research could lead to eugenics by encouraging efforts to modify gene expression to “enhance” traits like intelligence or health. Governments or institutions might promote interventions (e.g., strict lifestyle policies, selective reproduction) to create “genetically superior” populations.
issues with epigenic research
ethical violations , discrimination, scientific misuse , unintended consequences
ethical violations
-Restricting reproductive rights or enforcing “desirable” behaviors could
undermine personal freedom.
discrimination
Those with “undesirable” traits might face stigma or reduced
opportunities.
scientific misuse
Epigenetic findings could be exaggerated to justify social inequality or
genetic superiority claims.
unintended consequences
Modifying gene expression could have unforeseen negative
effects on individuals or future generations.
strengths of debate
(adoption studies)
help explore the nature-nurture debate by separating their influences. If adopted children resemble their adoptive parents, it suggests the environment is the key influence. If they resemble biological parents, genetic factors are presumed to dominate. A meta-analysis by Soo Rhee and Irwin Waldman (2002) found that genetic influences accounted for 41% of the variance in aggression
(epigenic research supports the nature idea of the debate)
Dutch Hunger Winter of 1944, when famine affected pregnant women. Ezra Susser and Shang Lin (1992) found that babies born during
this time were twice as likely to develop schizophrenia. This shows that the experiences of previous generations can
leave epigenetic markers that influence their offspring’s health.
(genetic research also has practical applications)
OCD has a high heritability rate (0.76, Nestadt et al., 2010), which is useful for genetic counselling. Understanding genetic risk allows individuals to manage stress and reduce the likelihood of developing the disorder, highlighting the real-world relevance of understanding the interaction between nature and nurture.
weaknesses of debate
(cp adoption studies )
-nature and nurture are interconnected. People create their own ‘nurture’ by actively selecting environments that suit their nature, a process known as niche-picking. For example, an aggressive child may choose friends with similar behaviours, which further influences their development. This suggests it’s not accurate to look at evidence for either nature or nurture separately.
