The Nature-Nurture Debate

• What is one of the oldest arguments in psychology?

  The nature-nurture debate

  
• Why is it difficult to decide which side determines behavior in the nature-nurture debate?

  Both sides have valid points
• What does recent research focus on regarding nature and nurture?

  How they interact

  
• What does the interactionist approach suggest about nature and nurture?

  Both are involved in shaping behavior

  
• What is the interactionist approach in psychology?

  • Combines nature and nurture
  • Rejects extreme positions
  • Suggests both influence behavior

  
• What is a key characteristic of the attachment pattern between an infant and its parents?

  It is a two-way street
• How does a child's temperament affect parental responses?

  It influences how parents respond
• What is the relationship between nature and nurture according to the interactionist approach?

  Nature creates the nurture

  
• What are key terms related to the nature-nurture debate?

  • Nature
  • Nurture
  • Heredity
  • Environment
  • Interactionist Approach

  
• Who argued that human characteristics are innate?

  Rene Descartes
• What did John Locke argue about the mind at birth?

  The mind is a blank slate
• What are monozygotic twins?

  Genetically identical twins
• What are dizygotic twins?

  Twins sharing approximately 50% of genes
• What does concordance refer to in twin studies?

  Similarity on a particular trait
• What does heritability estimate?

  The extent a trait is inherited
• How does research on OCD relate to the nature-nurture debate?

  It shows OCD is highly heritable

  
• What heritability rate did Nestadt et al. (2010) find for OCD?

  0.76
• Why is understanding the interaction between nature and nurture important?

  It has practical implications for genetic counseling

  
• Why is it impossible to answer whether it is nature or nurture?

  They are closely intertwined
• What complicates the interpretation of twin studies?

  Shared genes and shared upbringing
• What do adoption studies suggest about children?

  Similarity to adoptive parents indicates environmental influence
• What did Rhee and Waldman (2002) find in their meta-analysis?

  Genetic influences accounted for 41% of aggression variance
• What is niche-picking according to Plomin (1994)?

  Children select environments matching their nature
• What does the Diathesis-Stress Model explain?

  Predisposition to disorders requires environmental triggers

  
• What is epigenetics?

  Change in genetic activity without code change
• How do lifestyle and events affect genes in epigenetics?

  They leave marks that switch genes on/off
• What did Dias & Ressler (2014) find in their study with lab mice?

  Mice's offspring feared a scent without exposure
• What does the research by Susser & Lin (1992) suggest about famine and schizophrenia?

  Life experiences can leave epigenetic markers
• What historical event is associated with epigenetic research?

  The Dutch Hunger Winter
• What is the nature-nurture debate about?

  • Relative contributions of genetics (nature)
  • Environmental factors (nurture)
  • Importance in human development

  
• What is the key word in the nature versus nurture debate?

  Debate

  
• How should a student justify their answer in exam practice?

  Using the description from the mark scheme