The nature/nurture debate

Question 1

What is meant by the nature/nurture debate?

Answer 1

The nature versus nurture debate involves the extent to which particular aspects of behavior are a product of either inherited (i.e., genetic) or acquired (i.e., learned)

Question 2

Key Principles of Gesell’s Maturation Theory:

Answer 2

> Children develop through similar and predictable sequences. Gesell noticed that they did at their own pace, and suggested this development starts to occur before the child’s birth.
The pace that the individual develops is down to genetics.
If a child experienced delayed development that, according to Gesell, would be due to heredity(genetics).
A child should only be taught to complete tasks when they are physically and mentally ready to do so.

Question 3

Criticisms of Gesell’s Maturation Theory:

Answer 3

>Psychologists, such as Piaget, argue that the child is influenced more by the environment they live in.
>Gesell only used white, middle class parents and their children in his sample.

Question 4

Bandura’s social learning theory.

Answer 4

The environment influences development (nurture) and that children learn through imitating an role modeling.

Question 5

What were the four stages of Bandura’s social learning theory?

Answer 5

!. The child notices behaviour

2. remembering what they observed
3. copying the behaviour
4. repeating the action

Question 6

What is the stress-diathesis model?

Answer 6

This model explains how stress can be caused by life events (nurture) can interact with an individual’s genetic vulnerability (nature) to impact their mental wellbeing. Some individuals are born with a predisposition to develop a mental illness. A person who has a genetic predisposition to a mental illness may never develop it if they don’t experience the stress.