The Nature Nurture Debate Flashcards
What do nativists argue and what is used to measure this?
Nativists argue that human characterises are determined by heredity.
A heritability coefficient is a value ranging from 0 to 1, which indicates the extent to which a characteristic has a genetic basis.
Which approach uses the nurture side of the debate and what do they argue.
Behaviourist approach
The mind is a blank slate at birth upon which experience write.
Who identified different levels of the environment? Give examples
Lerner
The environment levels may be defined in pre-natal terms such as the mothers physical and psychological state during pregnancy or post-natal experiences such as the social conditions the child grows up in.
Problem with answering the question.
Environmental influences begin as soon as it is born. Nature and nurture are closely intertwined that they cannot be logically separated.
For example its hard to tell whether high concordance rates in twin studies are due to shared genetics or shared environment.
The interactionist approach to the nurture/nature debate in attachment
Nature could be said to create nurture as a child’s innate temperament will influence the way its parents respond to it and in turn their response will affect the child’s behaviour.
The interactionist approach to this debate in terms of psychopathology.
The diathesis-stress model suggests psychopathology is caused by a genetic vulnerability which is only expressed when coupled with a biological or environmental trigger.
Define epigeneticsl and explain the effect they have in the nature nurture debate.
The change in our genetic activity without changing our genetic code, that happens through life caused by interactions with the environment such as smoking. These changes tell our body which genes to ignore and which to use, and may influence the genetic code of offspring.
It introduces a third element in this debate which is the life experience of pervious generations.
Evidence for epigeneticsl
Dias and Ressler gave male lab mice electric shocks every time they were exposed to the smell of a chemical used in perfume.
Due to classical conditioning the mice then showed fear whenever the scent was present.
The rats children and grandchildren also showed fear to this chemical even though they hadn’t been exposed to this before or received any shocks themselves.
nature-nurture debate - implications
Implications
Nativists - inherited genetics determine our characteristics - this lead to socially sensitive research - e.g. linking race, genetics and intelligence and the application of eugenics (the science of improving a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable characteristics).
Empiricists - behaviour shaping by altering environmental conditions. - practical application in therapy as desirable behaviours can be selectively reinforced and undesirable behaviours can be punished - This technique however could be used to control and manipulate people.
Evaluate the nature-nurture debate
MZ twin studies
Siblings raised together may have different experiences - MZ twins raised together don’t have perfect concordance rates - supports the view that heredity and the environment cannot be meaningfully separated.
Constructivism
People create the nurture that fits there nature through niche picking and building, suggesting that it’s impossible to separate nature and nurture.
Relationship to other debates
A strong commitment to either the nature of nurture side of the debate corresponds to a belief in hard determinism, as nativists believe genetics determine behaviour whereas empiricists believe the environment determines behaviour.
