Nature-nurture debate

• What does "nature" refer to in the nature-nurture debate?

  Innate and genetic influence
• What did early nativists argue about human characteristics?

  They are innate and determined by heredity
• What factors are important in determining IQ?

  Both genetics and the environment
• What does "nurture" refer to in the nature-nurture debate?

  Environmental influences on development
• What is the empiricist view on the mind at birth?

  The mind is a blank slate at birth
• What are the different levels of the environment identified by Lerner (1986)?

  1. Narrow pre-natal terms: mother's state during pregnancy
  2. Postnatal experiences: social and economic conditions
• Why is the nature-nurture debate considered impossible to answer?

  Environmental influences begin at conception
• Why doesn't it make sense to separate nature and nurture?

  Both influence each other in development
• What is the interactionist approach to attachment?

  It sees the bond as a two-way street
• What are the two influences in the interactionist approach to attachment?

  1. Child's temperament influences parent behavior
  2. Parent responses affect child's behavior
• What does the diathesis-stress model suggest about mental disorders?

  They arise from biological vulnerability and stressors
• What did Tienan et al. (2004) study about Finnish adoptees?

  Links between biological relatives and schizophrenia
• What is epigenetics?

  • Change in genetic activity without altering DNA
  • Influenced by lifestyle and environmental events
• How do epigenetic marks affect genes?

  They tell genes to ignore or use certain functions
• What does epigenetics introduce into the nature-nurture debate?

  The life experience of previous generations
• What are the strengths of understanding interaction in the nature-nurture debate?

  • Real-world implications for human behavior
  • Recognizes both nature and nurture's roles
  • Explains gene-environment interactions through constructivism
• What do nativists believe about genes and behavior?

  Genes determine behavior and characteristics
• What does constructivism suggest about nature and nurture?

  They interact and influence each other
• How does a naturally aggressive child select their environment?

  • They choose environments with similar children
  • This reflects their innate characteristics
• What does constructivism imply about separating nature and nurture?

  It's impossible to separate their influences
• How does the nature-nurture debate relate to determinism?

  Strong belief in nature aligns with hard determinism
• What is the nativist perspective on behavior?

  Anatomy is destiny
• What do empiricists argue about the environment?

  Interaction with the environment is crucial
• What are the two forms of determinism related to the nature-nurture debate?

  • Biological determinism: genes dictate behavior
  • Environmental determinism: environment shapes behavior