Nature v Nurture

Nature

Our genes and neurochemistry predisposed us to that behaviour

• Areas of the brain influence our behaviour

• E.g. Biological approach

• Heritability coefficient

Nurture

Mind is a blank slate at birth (tabula rosa) and our behaviour is determined by our experiences from birth

• E.g. behaviourism

interactionist approach

Nature and nurture are so closely linked it does not make sense to separate them, so researchers look at how they interact

Diathesis stress model

A model of mental illness in terms of the interaction between nature and nurture

Tienari et al

Found that a group of Finish adoptees were most likely to develop schizophrenia if their biological parents had it and their adoptive families were dysfunctional

Epigenetics

Change in our genetic activity caused by interaction with the environment

Dias and Ressler

Rats got electric shocks every time they smelt a certain chemical. Rats showed fear, but so did their children and grandchildren

Evaluation of nature-nurture debate

- Difficult to separate nature and nurture

+ Real world application: unlearned behaviour