nature vs nurture

• nature


  -human behaviour is influenced by biology e.g., sleep

  -everything is innate

  -concordance rates are used to investigate this through a 0-1 scale. 1 = caused by biology; 0 = not biologically caused; 0.5 = somewhat biologically caused

  -Descartes: most aspects of human behaviour is innate
• nurture


  -human behaviour is influenced by our environment e.g., some forms of aggression

  -prenatal factors can be involved e.g., mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy & involves postnatal factors e.g., social conditions

  -Locke: all people are born as a blank slate
• evidence for nature

  -monozygotic twins had more shared traits, are genetically identical so shows genes influence traits

  -molecular genetic studies show gene variations

  -adoption studies
• evidence for nurture

  -migration studies found a change in IQ test results, showing environment has an influence

  -deprivation studies: poverty impacts development
• interactionist approach


  -behaviour & traits can involve both nature & nurture e.g., eye colour is only 0.80 inheritable

  -diathesis-stress model: biological/environmental vulnerability & stressor = behaviour/trait e.g., SCZ
• interactionist approach - epigenetics

  -a change in our genetic activity, without changing our genetic code

  -happens through life, caused by the environment e.g., lifestyle

  -things we do leave epigenetic marks on our DNA, they tell our body which genes to use & which genes to ignore

  -examples: diet, stress

  -Ressler: epigenetics can influence grandchildren (an animal study)
• nature-nurture debate: AO2


  -behaviourist approach: nurture

  -social learning theory: nurture

  -cognitive approach: nature & nurture

  -biological approach: nature

  -psychodynamic approach: more so nature

  -humanistic approach: nurture
• Plomin et al


  -genes influence aspects of parents behaviour which influences the environment they create to socialise their children in
• AO3


  Strength(s):

  -there is an interactionist approach to the nature-nurture debate which is holistic. Scarr & McCartney: environment & genetics interact in multiple ways & have 3 proposed type of interaction, being active, passive & evocative. This means that the debate has use as psychologists have identified the inter-play between the two factors which helps psychology achieve it's aim of understanding & helping people.

  
  

  -RWA: division of nature & nurture can help when researching & inform treatments for disorders e.g., SSRIs. D: economic implications of nature-nurture as if people have treatment, can go back to work. Shows that separating nature-nurture can be useful.

  
  

  Weakness(es):

  -deterministic. Nativists state that everything is purely nature, it does not account for alternative factors, so cannot be fully generalised. Is therefore a limited explanation.

  
  

  -the nurture argument can be socially sensitive. This argument saying that everything is up to environment can be detrimental for parents as they can blame themselves, causing psychological harm. The nature-nurture debate can be unethical for some individuals preventing psychology from achieving the aim of helping people.