Nature / Nurture

• What is Nature and Nurture?

  Nature: Behavioural characteristics are inherited (e.g. blood type, hair colour)

  Nurture: The external or environment factors that affect human development (e.g. peircings, tattoos, PTSD, accent)
• What is A01 for Nature?- nativists (heredity)


  Rene Descarte (1596-1650) argued that human characteristics and even some aspects of knowledge are innate: the result of heredity.
• What is A01 for Nurture? - empiricists (environment)

  John Locke (1630-1700s) argued that the mind is a state at. birth upon which learning and experience writes itself and our behaviours are the result of the environment.
• What is the Nature - Nurture scale of approaches?

  Psychodynamic: More nature because it states the unconscious mind governs all behaviours and thought process but a bit nurture because fixations are said to be caused by environment factors.

  
• What is a strength of Nature?

  Research support for nature: Heston

  • Studied adopted children with Schizophrenia mothers.
  • Found some had a schizophrenia diagnosis in later life.

  However, wasn't 100% so must be down to other factors.
• What is a implication of Nature?

  Implications of nature: Eugenic Laws

  • Nature beliefs behaviour is innate and determined by genetic features.
  • (e.g. genes make people commit crimes.
  • Could lead to sterilisation of criminals so they can't have kids.