Nature Nurture Debate

• Nature

  Refers To hereditary influences on our behaviour. This is examined using a heritability co-efficient
• Nurture

  Refers to environmental influences on our behaviou. Lerner (1986) proposed different levels of the environment which influence us
• what Is the interactionist approach

  The interactionist approach stems from the problems with trying to examine ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ as two separate concepts, so instead examined how nature and nurture interact with one another
• what is Diathesis-stress model

  People may have a biological vulnerability (the diathesis) to behave in a certain way, but this is only expressed when triggered by something in the environment ( the stressor)
• Tienari et al (2004)

  Conducted a study that provided support for the diathesi-stress model in the context of schizophrenia

  The interaction between genetic and vulnerability and environmental stresses
• What is epigenetics

  Epigenetics refers to a change in our gene activity without changing our genetic code. It is a process that happens throughout life and is caused by interaction with the environmenT.

  Aspects of our environment and lifestyle (e.g. Smoking and diet) leave ‘epigenetics marks‘ on our DNA. These marks tell our bodies which genes to use and which to ignore and will subsequently affect the genetic codes of our children and their children. The life experiences of previous generations can therefore be seen as a third variable in the nature-nurture debate
• Dias and Ressler (2014)

  Epigenetics study

  • fears could be transmitted across generations through epigenetic mechanisms

  •The research focused on whether environmental experience (fear conditioning) could lead to heritable changes in behaviour
• Plomin et al (1997) proposed that nature and nurture can act in a variety of ways. They describe three separate types of gene environment interaction:

  • Passive interaction
  • Evocative/reactive interaction
  • Active interaction
• What is a passive interaction ?

  When parents pass on genes and also provide an environment, both of which influence the childs development
• What is a Evocative/reactive interaction?

  Heritable traits influence the reaction of others and hence the environment provided by others
• What is an Active interaction?

  A child's heritable traits influence his or her choice of environment
• Argument against nature

  Nativists suggest that 'anatomy is destiny' in that our inherited genetic make-up determines our characteristics and behaviour, whilst the environment has no influence. This extreme determinist view has led to controversy such as that which attempted to link race, genetics and intelligence which could be seen as socially sensitive research
• Argument for nurture

  Empiricists who believe that we gain knowledge through sensory experience believe that behaviour can be altered by changing things in the environment. A positive is that this has real world applications for therapy where desirable behaviour can be reinforced
• Argument against nurture

  The empiricist's view that behaviour can be altered through changing things in the environment could be an issue because it could lead one to advocate a model society that controls and manipulates its citizens using conditioning techniques
• Argument for nature

  conducting research into the role of nature on behaviour can be viewed as scientific as it uses highly controlled experimental conditions to examine biological causes of behaviour
• Arguments for nurture

  Conducting research into the role of nurture on behaviour can be viewed as scientific as it uses controlled laboratory methods to examine observable behaviour