paper 3 issues & debates nature and nuture L4

What does nature mean?

• is the view that behaviour is the product of innate biological or genetic factors

What does heredity mean

The genetic transmission of mental and physical characteristics from one generation to another

What is an example of nature in some studies

• Clinical health

• Schizophrenia

• Attachment

Explain how an aspect in clinical health is nature in psychology

• OCD is inherited - individuals inherit specific genes which cause OCD

• COMT gene - regulates the production of dopamine ( high level of dopamine is associated with OCD )

• SERT gene - responsible for the transport of serotonin ( low levels of serotonin is associated with OCD )

Explain how an aspect in schizophrenia is nature in psychology

• Gottesman ( 1991 ) found that MZ twins have a 48% risk of getting SZ and DZ twins have a 27z risk rate

• Evidence that the higher degree of genetic relativeness causes a higher risk of SZ

Explain how a aspect In attachment is nature in psychology

• bowlby evolutionary theory of attachment that suggested that children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments with others enabling survival

• A child has an innate need to attach to one main attachment figure - monotropy

What is nurture?

Nurture is the view point that behaviour is the product of environmental influences

E.g Locke argued that the mind is a blank slate at birth which is then shaped by the influence of their environment

Give afew examples of studies that demonstrate nurture in psychology

Phobias ( clinical health ) - the acquisition of phobias occurs because of classical conditioning ( experience of a traumatic event that causes a rise in fear )

Maintenance of phobias is through operant conditioning where avoiding a situation that causes fear acts as a negative reinforcer

Aggression - aggression acts carried out by a role model can be internalised and reproduced in the future

If the role models behaviour is rewarded a child learns that this is an effective way of getting what they want ( vicarious treatment)

Attachment - behaviourist psychologists explain attachment in terms of classical conditioning where

Food ( UCS ) associated with mother ( NS )

The mother becomes CS who causes a CR in the child —→ the child forms an attachment based on the pleasure experienced of being fed

What is meant by the nature-nurture debate

The nature nurture debate is concerned with the extent of behaviour being a product of inherited or acquired characteristics

Explain what a interactionist approach is

• this is when nature and nurture factors both work together in influencing behaviour

• An interactionist approach acknowledges biological, psychological and societal factors in the development of psychological disorders

Explain what diathesis stress Is

• Suggests that clinical health is caused by a biological / genetic vulnerability ( diathesis )

• Which is only expressed when coupled with a biological / environment trigger ( the stressor )

What’s evidence against diathesis stress

Tienari ( 2004 ) found that children from adopted families whose biological mothers had schizophrenia

Were more likely to develop schizophrenia themselves

But only in those adopted families who were assessed to have a child rearing style which was critical and lacked empathy

Explain what Epigenetics means

• change in genetic activity without changing genetic code - process is caused by interactions with the environment

• Life events we encounter ; smoking, diet, pollution and much more leave epigenetic marks on our DNA

What is a study that acts as evidence against epigenetics

Dias and ressler (2014)

• lab mice experience electric shocks from a certain chemical used in perfumes

• As expected by behaviourists the mice learnt a fear response to the chemical smell

• However the children.and grandchildren of the mice also showed the same fear response despite never experiencing the shock or smelling the chemical before