A03: The Nature-Nurture Debate

• Evaluation


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• Deterministic: N-N D: A03

  Danger of accepting wholly nature (nativist) view or a wholly nurture (empiricist) view?:

  Nativists suggest 'anatomy is destiny' and env has little input on our traits and behaviours.

  • This is highly deterministic and can lead to controversy like the race/intelligence debate which was used to justify social inequality and oppression.
  • Alternatively Empiricists suggest behaviour can be shaped simply by altering environmental conditions.

  This could lead to advocate a model of society where citizens are controlled using reinforcement and punishment.
• Shared and unshared environments: N-N D: A03

  One problem of research in this area is that heredity and the env can never truly be separated.

  • Sibling's and even twins within the same family do not share identical upbringings/env and they experience life events differently.
  • E.g, a life event like divorce will be experienced differently by 2 siblings depending on factors like age and temperament.

  This explains why even MZs reared together do not show perfect concordance rates.
• Constructivism: N-N D: A03

  People create their own environments by selecting those which suit their nature.

  • E.g, a naturally aggressive child is more likely to fell comfortable around children who show similar behaviour.
  • Consequently, this environment is likely to have an effect on their development.

  Again, showing nature and nurture cannot be meaningfully separated.

  
  

  • CANT DISTINGUISH ONE FROM THE OTHER (NATURE & NURTURE) - INTERACTIONALISM IS THE WAY FORWARD
• Genotype-environment interaction: N-N D: A03

  Scarr & MCCartney (1983) said: 3 types of gene env interaction.

  • Passive interaction - parents genes influence way they treat/raise kid(musical parents expose kid to music).
  • Evocative interaction - kid's gene influence & shape env which they grow up (musically talented kid given opportunities others not).
  • Active Interaction - child creates its own env through people & experiences it selects (musical kid seeks musical friends & experiences).

  Showing complexities of nature/nurture interaction are deep & neither can be separated/isolated.