Nature-Nurture Debate

• Explain the term nature (2m)

  Refers to the assumption that behaviour is the product of innate (biological or genetic) factors i.e. the result of heredity. It assumes we are born with predispositions and pre-programmed behaviours.
• Explain the term nurture (2m)

  Refers tot he assumption that behaviour is the product of environmental influences and experience. For example, the social conditions the child grows up in and the cultural and historical context they are part of.
• One example of an interactionist approach to the nature-nurture debate. (3m)

  The diathesis-stress model is an example of an interactionist approach. This is used to explain mental disorders such as phobias, OCD and addiction. A diathesis is a genetic vulnerability, such as being born with certain genes that predispose a person to developing a disorder, such as OCD (e.g. COMT, SERT genes).
• What is meant by the nature-nurture debate? (2m)

  Explores the relative contribution of nature (biological or genetic) influences or nurture (environmental) influences effect on behaviour.
• One problem of the nature viewpoint

  • Extreme deterministic viewpoint
  • Could controversially be used to link things like race, genetics, and intelligence
  • Could be used as an argument for eugenics i.e. reduced rates of sexual reproduction and sterilisation of people with less-desired or undesired traits (negative eugenics)
• one problem of the nurture viewpoint

  • Assumption that any behaviour can be changed by altering environmental conditions
  • Could be applied in controversial ways, e.g. hothousing (the practiser of teaching to children to high level at an earlier than usual age)
• Outline one research theory/study from one topic you have studied to support the nature viewpoint.(4m)

  Bowlby's monotropic theory in attachment- he argued forming attachments is innate (biological) and proposed it was adaptive because an infant was more likely to survive as they promote close relationships which foster successful reproduction. Therefore attachment behaviours are naturally selected, which can only be done through genetic mechanisms (heredity).
• Outline one theory research theory/study from one topic you have studied to support the nurture view.(4m)

  Psychopathology theory that phobias are acquired through classical conditioned association between anxiety and provoking unconditioned stimulus and previously neutral stimulus. Operant conditioning explains how phobias are maintained through negative reinforcement. These are not innate/biological reasons and are in fact driven through the learning of association and experience.
• Outline one research study that shows the relative importance of heredity in determining human behaviour.(3m)

  Slutske studied 2,889 pairs of twins to investigate the role of genetic factors in the development of gambling addiction, comparing male and female twins. Both male and female MZ twins were found to have much higher concordance rates compared to DZ twin pairs- male MZ: 49%, DZ: 21%, study suggests there is a genetic component to gambling addiction that can be present in both men and women.
• Outline one psychological research study that shows the relative importance of the environment in determining behaviour. (3m)

  Reith and Dobie demonstrated the importance of the family in the transmission of gambling behaviour. Found gambling knowledge & behaviour was passed on through routines of everyday life. Individuals watched and heard family members doing and talking about their gambling and eventually join in with it. They found patterns of gambling were transmitted within families in gendered ways, males with fathers, females with mothers.