The Nature & Nurture Debate Related To Factors

Question 1

What does nature mean?

Answer 1

Genetic inheritance and other biological factors.

Question 2

What does nurture mean?

Answer 2

The influence of external factors after conception such as social and environmental factors.

Question 3

Nature: Gesell’s maturation theory

Answer 3

• Found children progress at their own age
• Development is predetermined which little environmental influence
• Delayed development is due heredity (e.g. learning difficulties from birth)
• Criticism: doesn’t account for individual/cultural differences influenced by the environment

Question 4

Nurture: Bandura’s social learning theory

Answer 4

• Learning occurs through observing behaviours of others
  The four stages of behavioural learning:
  1. Child observes behaviour
  2. Child internalises the action by remembering it
  3. Reproduce the behaviour when the opportunity comes
  4. Depending on the outcome of the behaviour the child will decide to repeat the behaviour or not
  
  • Positive reinforcement: repeated due to personal satisfaction or rewards
  • Negative reinforcement: behaviour is not repeated to avoid a negative experience such as being being told off

Question 5

Stress diathesis model

Answer 5

• A psychological theory that explains how mental disorders develop due to the interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental stressors.
• A person may have the genetic predisposition, but a stressful life events may be required for the disorder to appear.