Nature-nurture debate

• What is the nature-nurture debate?

  The extent to which aspects of behaviour are a product of inherited or acquired characteristics
• What is heredity?

  The genetic transmission of both mental and physical characteristics from one generation to another
• What is the interactionalist approach?

  A way to explain behaviour in terms of both biological and psychological ones - factors combine
• What is the environment?

  Any influence on human behaviour that is non-genetic; includes biological influences
• What has more recent into nature-nurture been concerned with?

  How nature and nurture interact with each other
• What has a long history of debate in psychology?

  Whether characteristic are caused by innate influences (nature) or environmental influences (nurture)
• What is nature?

  The view that behaviour is the product of innate biological/genetic factors
• What is the heritability coefficient used to assess?

  Heredity
• What is the heritability coefficient?

  A numerical value ranging from 0-1.0 indicating the extent to which a characteristic has a genetic basis
• What is a key way to support the nature argument?

  Twin studies
• What are monozygotic twins?

  Genetically identical
• What are dizygotic twins?

  Only share 50% genes
• What is the nativist position?

  The assumption that the characteristics of humans are a product of evolution and individual differences are the result of each person's unique genetic code
• What is used to assess heritability?

  Heritability coefficient
• What do twin studies show?


  Closer relatedness of two people, the more likely they'll show the same behaviours
• What is the chances of being diagnosed with schizophrenia for the general population?


  1%
• What did Gottsman and Shields find the chances of being diagnosed with schizophrenia was with two parents who have schizophrenia?


  46%
• Who found the chances of being diagnosed with schizophrenia is 46% with two parents who have schizophrenia?

  Gottsman and Shields
• What is an example of a disease that is genetically transmitted but emerges later in life?

  Huntingdons
• What is regarded by nativists as the product of maturation?

  Characteristics and differences not observable at birth but emerge later in life
• Which explanation emphasises the importance of nature?

  Evolutionary
• Why does the evolutionary explanation emphasise the importance of nature?

  Assumes behaviours/characteristics that increase chances of survival will be naturally selected
• Nurture is the view that behaviour is the product of environmental influences
• Nature is the view that behaviour is the product of innate biological or genetic factors
• What is nature?

  The view that behaviour is the product of innate biological or genetic factors
• What is the environment?

  Everything outside the body: people, events, the physical world
• What are those who support nature called?

  Nativists
• What are those who support nurture called?

  Empiricists
• What do empiricists believe the human mind is?

  A tabula rasa
• Tabula rasa = blank slate
• Who was the first to propose the 'tabula rasa' view?

  Locke
• What theory did Batson propose that suggested environmental explanations can partly explain the occurrence of schizophrenia?


  Double Bind Theory
• Who proposed the Double Bind Theory?

  Batson
• What is the Double Bind Theory?

  Schizophrenia is the result of disordered communication with family
• What is now widely accepted about the nature and nurture debate?

  Both essential for all behaviour
• What is the interactionist approach best illustrated by?

  PKU
• What is PKU caused by?

  Inheritance of two recessive genes
• Why is PKU a good illustration of the interactionist approach?

  PKU (nature) not expressed with an altered environment; diet (nurture)
• What is a model for mental illness supporting the interactionist approach?

  Diathesis Stress Model
• Why is the Diathesis Stress Model support for the interactionist approach?

  Biological vulnerability at birth (nature) - disorder only develops with an environmental 'stressor' (nurture)