A01

• What is meant by the nature-nurture debate?

  Concerned with the extent to which behaviour is a product of innate or environmental influences
• What is the nature stance on behaviour?

  Aspects of human behaviours are innate and hereditary (traits that are passed from parents to offspring)
• What are the philosophical origins of nature?

  Renee Descartes' nativism
• State 2 research examples which support the nature side of the debate

  1. Candidate genes (COMT and SERT) in the development of OCD

  2. Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment - humans have an innate tendency to form attachments with a caregiver giving us an adaptive advantage
• What is the nurture stance on behaviour?

  We are born as blank slates ('tabula rasa') and experience dictates who we are and our behaviour.
• What are the philosophical origins of nurture?

  John Locke's empiricism
• State 2 research examples which support the nurture side of the debate

  1. Use of Systematic desensitisation and flooding to treat phobias

  2. Learning theory - attachment caused by classical or operant conditioning
• What is the interactionist approach?

  The view that the processes of nature and nurture work together rather than in opposition
• State 2 research examples for an interactionist approach for the nature-nurture debate

  1. Epigenetics

  2. Diathesis-stress model for psychopathology
• What is epigenetics?

  Change in genetic activity due to interaction with environment
• What is a study which shows evidence of epigenetics?

  Dias and Ressler (2014)
• What was the procedure of Dias and Ressler (2014)

  • Gave male lab mice electric shocks every time they were exposed to the smell of acetophenone, a chemical used in perfume
  • The mice showed a fear reaction as soon as the scent was presented.
• What were the findings of Dias and Ressler (2014)?

  • The rats children also feared the smell - even though they hadn't been exposed to acetophenone before or received any shocks
  • So did their grandchildren
• What is the diathesis-stress model?

  Psychopathology is caused by a biological vulnerability (diathesis) which is only expressed when coupled with a biological or environmental trigger (stressor)
• What is a study which shows evidence for a diathesis-stress model and therefore supporting an interactionist approach in the nature-nurture debate?

  Tienari et al (2004)
• How does the Tienari et al. study show support for a diathesis-stress model?

  Found in a group of adoptees those most likely to develop Schizophrenia had biological relatives with a history of the disorder (diathesis) and relationships with their adoptive families that were dysfunctional (stress).
• What is a practical application for the nature-nurture debate?

  • Nature = development of drug therapies to treat behavioural or psychological problems
  • Nurture = behaviour shaping, interventions for criminal behaviour