Nature-Nurture Debate

• Nature-nurture scale

  
• What is nature?


  Refers to those of our abilities and characteristics as determined by our genes, inherited from our parents.People who strongly support the nature argument are called 'nativists'.
• What is hereditary?


  The genetic transmission of mental and physical characteristics from one generation to another.
• Topic link - OCD

  Groothest et al 2005conducted a meta-analysis of 28 previous studies and found that there was a higher concordance rate for OCD for MZ twins in comparison to DZ twins both had low levels of serotonin due to a faulty SERT gene and brain dysfunction of the basal ganglia and both are biological causes linked to the development of OCD.However, the concordance rate is not 100% so environmental factors must also play a role.
• Topic link - Dimonds rats


  Diamond conducted a lab experiment and injected pregnant rats with testosterone in order to observe the impact on the female offspring.The female rats exhibited typical 'male rat' behaviours such as being territorial, aggressive and sexually dominant. Diamond concluded that that complex gender differences can be reduced down to bio-chemical differences which are created by sex chromosomes differences between males and females. This supports the nature side of the nature vs nurture argument for explaining gender.However, SLT support nurture explaining the development of gender via mediating cognitive factors.
• Strengths of nature debate

  Economic ImplicationIf a genetic cause can be pin-pointed for areas such as mental health and anxiety disorders then scientists can develop medical treatments to help treat people which helps both the individual and the economy as a whole. For example, antipsychotics can be used to manage positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. This may prove to be more cost effective saving tax payer money within health care system such as the NHS.
• Limitations of nature debate

  Eugenics(set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population) became very popular post Darwin's theory of evolution.The United States did indeed have legislation regarding eugenics and countries like China and India still have enforced sterilisation programmes in place for those with undesirable traits to prevent reproduction.Also Nazis during and before WW2
• What is nurture?


  Refers to the influence of our experiences and environment on behaviour.The nurture debate believes we are blank slates at birth.Supporters of the nurture argument are described as 'empiricists'.
• Topic link - Little Albert

  Study showed that phobias are learned via classical conditioning. Initially Little Albert showed no fear of rats but eventually after being conditioned 'presented with white rat and hearing loud banging sound' which frightened Little Albert he became fearful of them and all white furry things.behaviourist explanation such as the one above has led to the development of practical applications to treating people with phobias such as the use of systematic desensitisation and flooding.However, not all phobias are caused by experience and may even be explained by evolutionary factors such as great apes natural fear of snakes.
• Topic link - Aggression (Bandura)


  Research by Bandora using Boys and girls aged 3-6 witnessed a video clip of an adult model behaving aggressively towards a Bobo doll where an adult model was either rewarded, punished or no consequences at all. Each group of children was then allowed in a room with a Bobo doll present. The results showed that where all children showed some level of imitation across all three conditions, the group who saw the model rewarded showed the highest number of aggressive acts. This supports SLT as it shows that aggressive behaviour can be learnt.
• What is the interactionist approach?


  The idea that nature and nurture are linked to such anextent that it does not make sense to separate the two, so researchers instead study how they interact and influence each other.Environmental factors can also affect genetic expression through epigenetics.
• What are epigenetics?


  The study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself.
• PKU (genetic disorder)


  PKU is caused by the inheritance of two recessive genes, one from each parent. People with PKU are unable to break down the amino acid phenylalanine which builds up in the blood and brain causing mental retardation. However, if the child is diagnosed early, they are placed on a low protein diet for the first 12 years, which helps to avert this potentially lifelong disorder.Therefore, the disorder PKU (nature) is not expressed, because of an altered environment (low protein diet - nurture).
• Topic link - Sz


  The diathesis-stress model and schizophrenia explains that mental disorders come from the interaction of two things, genetics and environment. A person may be genetically pre-disposed to developing a mental health disorder, but an environmental trigger/stressor is needed.

  For example, Tienari (2004) followed Children adopted from 19000 Finnish mothers with schizophrenia between 1960 and 1979 including their adoptive parents and child-rearing style. The rates of schizophrenia in the adopted children were compared with a control group of adoptees without any genetic risk (their biological parents did not have schizophrenia). Child rearing with a high level of criticism and conflict and low levels of empathy were responsible for the development of schizophrenia but only in the adopted children with high genetic risk. This supports an interactionist approach for understanding the causes of schizophrenia.
• Conclusion of interactionist approach

  The interactionist approach has led to a more multi-disciplinary and holistic approach to treating people with conditions such as depression.For example,using a mix of drug therapy, individual therapy and family therapy to treat depression.However, using an interactionist approach to treatment ismore expensiveand savings could be made, if there is actually just one main cause for the issue.