nature-nurture

• AO1 for the nature debate?


  our behaviours are innate. behaviours are biologically determined, for example, hair colour. takes a nativist position. says that behaviours will enable us to survive and are adapted to our environment and developed through evolution.
• AO2 for nature debate?


  research has found that schizophrenia is more likely to occur in someone who has a first-degree relative for schizophrenia
• AO1 for nurture?


  behaviours are learned. behaviours are conditioned via stimulus-link responses through classical conditioning. learning via stimulus is maintained by positive and negative reinforcement through operant conditioning.
• AO2 for nurture?


  little albert had a conditioned fear response via the stimulus link of a white mouse and a loud bang. this was maintained via negative reinforcement and the fear also transferred to white fluffy objects.
• research support evaluation for nature?


  twin studies have found a higher concordance rate for schizophrenia in MZ than DZ twins.

  shows significant genetic input into the onset of schizophrenia meaning genes predispose to schizophrenia.

  raises the validity of explanation.

  however,

  no study has a 100% concordance rate meaning some influence from nurture

  for example, the environment they were raised in.

  reduces the credibility
• real world implication evaluation for nature?


  nature debate in the criminal justice system.

  may be a biological basis for aggression (the MAOA). in some cases it can be used as an excuse for a lenient sentence.

  for example, Mobley committed murder. his defence was violence was genetic

  however, Mobley grew up in a violent environment

  we should take an interactionist approach
• research support evaluation for the nurture debate?


  Watson and Raynor used classical conditioning to condition a fear response in Little Albert linking a white rat to a loud bang. this was also transferred onto other white rats.

  fear was learned and therefore is not an innate behaviour

  furthermore, most children with a phobia learned it from their parents.
• development of treatments evaluation for nurture?


  classical conditioning leads to association between fear response and phobia being broken.

  shows the fear response is a learned behaviour

  little albert showed no sign of fear response in any situation before the study

  therefore it can be treated by breaking the link

  furthermore, other sucessful treatments like flooding which forces the patient to face their fear

  shows behavviour is negativley reinforced and down to nature
• what is the interactionist approach?


  • claims behaviour is due to both nature and nurture
  • you have a predisposition for a behaviour but then triggered by environmental factors
  • an issue with the nature nurture debate is that it doesnt take into account the interactionist approach