Nature - Nurture debate

• What is nature?


  B. is a product of innate (biological/genetic) factors
• What is nurture?


  B. is a product of environmental influences
• How are environmental influences acquired?

  via interactions w/environment aka experience
• what is the environment?

  everything outside our body so social world (ppl, events) and the physical world
• What are examples of the influence of nurture?

  -Behaviourism

  -Social Learning Theory

  -Double Bind Theory
• Why is behaviourism an example of nurture?

  assumes all B. can be explained in terms of experience alone
• Give an example of an B. that behaviourists have explained via experience.

  attachment (B.) is learnt via classical (CS→CR) and operant (food ↓ discomfort) conditioning
• How does social learning theory support nurture?

  
  

  (assumption of the SLT)

  B. is acquired via learning, additional through indirect (vicarious) reinforcement
• How is SLT different from the behaviourism?

  ie.

  SLT is less extreme as is does consider the role of biology

  ie. aggressiveness can be biological but to express anger is learnt via environmental factors such as reinforcement
• What is the double bind theory (and how does it show nurture)?

  Sz symptoms (B.) develops due to contradictory messages from parents (environment) as it prevents internally consistent construction of reality
• What are examples of the influence of nature?

  -Genetic Explanations

  -Evolutionary Explanations
• How does genetic explanation support nature?

  Twin studies show, the closer 2 ppl are genetically, the more likely they develop same B.
• Give an example of an study that supports the genetic explanation.

  Joseph- concordance rate for mental disorder like Sz in MZ and DZ twins
• What were the results Joseph got from MZ and DZ twins?

  MZ: 40%

  DZ: 7%

  shows mz have ↑ similarity for disorder showing genes (nature) has ↑ contribution to B.
• What is the evolutionary explanation (and how does it support nature)?

  B. that ↑ survival + reproduction is naturally selected (so B. is innate)
• Give example of an study that supports the evolutionary explanation.

  Bowlby- attachment B. ensures infant is protected thus ↑ survival. Also teaches 'close relationships', to later foster successful reproduction

  (these B. are naturally selected by genetic mech.)
• What is the middle ground?

  the interactionist approach
• what is the interactionist approach (in ref to nature-nurture debate)?

  Nature and nurture work together instead of being independent factors
• Negative real world application for both?

  Nature- eugenics ie. Nazis

  Nurture- engineer B. via conditioning to behave like Pol Pot wanted in Cambodia