The nature-nurture debate

Question 1

What does nature mean?

make 2 points

Answer 1

-knowledge and abilities are innate/pre-programmed
-genetics are the primary cause of behaviour

Question 2

What does nurture mean?

make 2 points

Answer 2

-knowledge and abilities are a result of learning and experience
-a persons environment is the primary cause of behaviour

Question 3

What are the three levels of the environment in which we are exposed to?

Answer 3

1) pre natal environment
2)post natal experiences (conditions child grows up in)
3)wider culture/historical context

Question 4

Make 4 more points about the nature-nurture debate

Answer 4

-behaviour is often a result of both nature and nurture
-this debate is about the relative importance of heredity and environment in determining behaviour
-nature side assumes heredity is more important
-nurture side assumes environment and experiences are more important

Question 5

What type of research is often used to provide evidence to support the influence of nature?

What are issues with using twin studies to support the role of nature? (give 2)

Answer 5

twin studies

concordance rates for MZ twins are never 100% so means nature can’t be the full cause of behaviour
twins also share an environment , makes it difficult to determine and distinguish the influence of nature from the influence of a shared environment

Question 6

What kind of study is seen as the best methodology to use for the nature-nurture debate?

Why?

Answer 6

adoption studies , because they remove the similar environment which allows us to determine the relative importance of genetics and environment separately

Question 7

Give 7 examples of evidence from other topics that support the nature side of the debate?

Answer 7

-concordance rates of twins for OCD and Schizophrenia
-the MAOA gene in aggression
-DRD3 gene in schizophrenia development
-XY/XX genes and gender development
-Bowlbys Monotropic Theory of attachment
-Banduras finding of males being more aggressive than females
-Margaret Mead and gender

Question 8

Give 6 examples of evidence from other topics that support the nurture side of the debate?

Answer 8

-concordance rates of twins not being 100%
-SLT and aggression/gender
-Margaret Mead finding cultural differences in gender
-dysfunctional family explanation of Schizophrenia
-behaviourism and phobias ( 2 process model)
-Learning Theory of attachment

Question 9

Give a general weakness of the nature-nurture debate

Answer 9

-other explanations such as an interactionist approach may be more plausible
this approach would argue that genetics predispose individuals to certain behaviours however these predispositions are monitored by the environment
-this means a persons phenotype is a result of an interaction between nature and nurture , suggesting the debate may be outdated