Nurture Flashcards
What does nurture refer to in psychology?
Nurture refers to the idea that all behaviour can be explained in terms of experience alone, through classical and operant conditioning.
What is Behaviourism?
Behaviourism is the theory that all behaviour can be explained through experience, particularly through classical and operant conditioning.
What is Social Learning Theory?
Social Learning Theory posits that behaviour is acquired through learning from the environment and can be influenced by vicarious reinforcement.
What did Bandura contribute to the understanding of behaviour?
Bandura acknowledged that while biology may influence the urge to act aggressively, the expression of such behaviour is acquired through environmental influences.
What are other explanations for behaviour aside from Behaviourism and SLT?
Other psychological explanations for behaviour include the Double Bind explanation for Schizophrenia.
What is the Double Bind explanation for Schizophrenia?
The Double Bind explanation states that children may develop schizophrenia by receiving contradictory messages from their parents, leading to a confused construction of reality.
Example: A mother tells her son she loves him but turns away in disgust.
What is the relationship between nature and nurture?
Nature and nurture cannot be separated; both contribute to development.
What is phenylketonuria (PKU)?
PKU is an inherited disorder that prevents amino acids from being metabolised, resulting in brain damage.
How can PKU be prevented?
If detected at birth, a diet devoid of phenylalanine can be given to prevent brain damage.
Is PKU a result of nature or nurture?
If prevention can be achieved through environmental manipulation, it raises the question of whether PKU is nature or nurture.
What is diathesis-stress disorder?
A diathesis is a biological vulnerability, a gene that predisposes an individual to a disorder.
Do all individuals with a genetic predisposition develop the disorder?
Not everyone with particular genes develops the disorder; it depends on experiences or stressors.
How does nature affect nurture?
Genes may exert an indirect effect; for example, a genetically aggressive child might provoke aggressive responses in others.
What is the reactive gene concept by Plomin?
The reactive gene concept suggests that a child reacts to genetically influenced behavior, which is part of learning from the environment.
What is passive influence in the context of genetics?
Passive influence occurs when parents’ genes indirectly affect a child’s behavior, such as a parent with a mental disorder creating an unsettled home life.
What is active influence or niche picking?
Active influence, or niche picking, refers to children seeking out experiences that suit their genes, which increases as they get older.
