Nature – nurture debate A01

• -          This refers to the extent to which our behaviour is influenced by biological and environmental factors.
• -          Nature = refers to the influence of our genes on all our behaviour

  -          Nurture = refers to the influences of interactions and what is learned through experience – the environmentthis includes both social and physical environmentthe experience starts in the womb
• Importance of heredity and environment in determining behaviour

  -          Heredity is the suggestion that our genetic makeup influences behaviour and the consideration as to what extent our behaviour is due to genetics.
• Importance of heredity and environment in determining behaviour

  -          A numerical figure between 1-0 is used to indicate to what extent our behaviour is influenced by genetics and the remaining influence is therefore from environmental factors such as prenatal environment and up bring- this is calculated using a formula that considers both genetic influence , environmental influence and how the two interact

  -          In reality its very hard to separate what is inherited from what has developed from the environment
• Examples of the influence of nature

  -          The genetic explanation for OCD – suggests that OCD is a result of a variation of the COMT gene that leads to higher levels of dopamine or is due to the SERT gene that affects the transmission of serotonin – both genes would be passed down in the individuals genotype – therefore this is nature and the environment is not important
• Examples of the influence of nature

  -          The genetic explanation of aggression also highlights nature as the cause of behaviour this is because the MAOA-L gene does not break down the monoamine neurotransmitters – dopamine + serotonin – and this has been found to influence aggressive behaviour – so the environment is not important
• Examples of the influence of nurture

  -          The behaviours approach to phobias is an example of nurture influence behaviour because it suggests behaviour is learned via association between an unconditional stimulus that elicits fear and a neutral stimulus . then operant conditioning maintains the phobia via negative reinforcement as we avoid situations where the phobic stimulus is likely to be – genetics are not important it the environment that is
• Examples of the influence of nurture

  -          Social leaning theory to explain gender development  also shows how environment influences behaviour – because it states that  child learns their gender behaviour by imitating the gender behaviour of a live role model or one seen in the media , therefore genetics are not important it is what is viewed in the environment that is important
• Interactionist approach – this refers to the view that that the process of nature and nurture work together rather than in opposition – they are linked in such a way that it don’t make sense to separate them
• An example of the interactional approach would be the diathesis stress model that suggests that an individual may have a biological predisposition for a particular metal health disorder but it only manifest when triggered by an environmental trigger
• Another example of the interactional approach is that minor stressors may lead to the onset of schizophrenia someone with high genetic vulnerability similarly a major stressful event may cause a similar reaction in a person with low vulnerability – which is due to the influence of nature but the stressful environment which is nurture can trigger the disorder