Nature & Nurture

• Nature is the view that all our behaviour is determined by our biology, such as our genes.
• In the nature debate some genetic characteristics only appear later in development as a result of the process of maturation.
• Evolutionary explanations of human behaviour exemplify the nature approach in Psychology.
• An assumption underlying the nature debate is that behaviour has evolved because of its survival value.
• In the nature debate evolutionary psychologists assume that behaviour is a product of natural selection.
• Heredity is the genetic transmission of both mental and physical characteristics from one generation to another.
• Some psychologists view the nature debate as more of an approach as there is clear evidence for the argument of its existence.
• Bowlby (1958) suggested that a babies attachment was biologically pre-programmed. This is supported by animal studies such as Lorenz (1935).
• Bowlby (1958) suggested that attachment types can be determined by parental interaction, which is an external, environmental factor. This shows that attachment may be a combination of nature and nurture.
• Kagen (1984) proposed that a babies innate personality, can affect the attachment it forms with a primary caregiver. This combines influences from nature and nurture on behaviour.
• The interactionist approach assumes there are a combination of both nature and nurture influences on behaviour.
• An example of the interactionist approach is the diathesis-stress model, which argues that behaviour occurs when there is a biological predisposition triggered by an environmental stressor.
• Early nativists such as Descartes (1596-1650) claimed that all human characteristics are innate.
• Twin studies can be used to support the nature debate, especially as MZ twins share 100% of their DNA.
• Concordance rates show statistical levels of agreement when looking at genetic similarity.
• Twin studies with high concordance rates suggest there is a strong genetic link, supporting the nature debate.
• The degree to which two people are similar on a particular characteristic can be expressed using a correlation coefficient, called the concordance.
• Nestadt et al (2010) suggested a heritability rate of 0.76 for OCD, which is a relatively strong correlation. This suggests it is likely to run in families.
• Most concordance rates fall far from 100% suggesting that environmental factors must also play a part in behaviour.
• A figure of 0.1 (1%) for heritability suggests that genes have little to no influence over behaviour, whereas a figure of 1.0 (100%) means genetic explanations are the only reason for that behaviour.
• If adopted children are more similar to their adoptive parents, we can say that is down to nurture, but if they develop significantly different characteristics it may be because they have different genes.
• A meta-analysis by Rhee & Waldman (2002) found that genetic influences accounted for 41% of the variance in aggression.
• According to Plomin (1994) people can create their own ‘nurture’ influences by actively seeking different environments. This could in time have a beneficial outcome on the following generations and their ‘nature’.
• In some cases people choose certain environments, which are appropriate for their ‘nature’ For example, children who are more naturally aggressive may seek other children or situations which allow them to act more aggressively.
• Niche picking is a psychological idea that people choose environments that complement their heredity.
• In the field of Psychology, nativism is the view that certain skills or abilities are "native" or hard-wired into the brain at birth.
• Empiricists suggest that any behaviour can be changed by altering the environment, e.g. behaviour shaping.
• Nurture refers to the influence of the external environment on behaviour.
• Empiricists argue that all behaviour is shaped by the environment.
• Empiricists like Locke (1635-1704) argued that the mind was a blank slate, which is then shaped by the environment.
• Lerner (1986) proposed different levels of the environment and claimed that development is influenced postnatally (after birth), such as in the social conditions in which a child is raised.
• Support for the nurture view come from ‘empiricists’ who hold the view that all knowledge is gained through experience.
• The behaviourist approach is the clearest example of the nurture debate in Psychology, which assumes that all behaviour is learned through the environment.
• Bandura (1961) demonstrated the influence of nurture in his experiments using the Bobo doll. This shows how social learning explains aggression in children.
• Empirical evidence shows that behaviour is learnt and can be modified through conditioning. This supports the nurture debate.
• Instead of defending extreme nature or nurture views, most psychological researchers are now interested in investigating the ways in which nature and nurture interact.
• It is limiting to describe behaviour solely in terms of either nature or nurture, and attempts to do this underestimate the complexity of human behaviour.
• The nurture debate does not account for any biological influences on behaviour.
• Empiricists believe that the environment plays a significant role in shaping behaviour and that knowledge is primarily acquired through sensory experiences and observations.