Psych Exam 2 Nature V Nurture

Evolutionary Psychology

• Uses natural selection principles to understand behavior and mental processes; explains psychological tendencies as solutions to ancestral survival/ reproduction problems

Twin Studies

Research comparing identical vs fraternal twins to determine genetic influences on traits

Adoption Studies

Research comparing adopted children to biological and adoptive parents to separate genetic from environmental influences

Heritability 

• The extent to which differences seen among people are due to their differences in genetics

• Our genes affect how our environment reacts to and influences us 

• Nature enables Nuture 

Gene-Environment Interaction

Environment can turn genes on or off - epigenetic Cult

Culture

The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.

Culture changes over time 

Individualistic Culture

• Value personal achievement and fulfillment as well as individual rights and liberties 

• Comfrontation is acceptable and morality is self-defined ,

Collective culture 

• values group and goals and solidarity 

• maintaining social harmony is important  and morality is duty based 

Social Learning Theory

We learn by observing and imitating others’ behaviors and being rewarded/punished; explains how children acquire gender identity by watching and copying gender - linked behavior

What of humans have in common?

• Follow relatively similar paths for many developmental milestones

strong disposition to act upon the environment, curious
rather than passive.
• Innate propensity for learning- simple (e.g., sucking) and
complex (e.g., language) skills.
• Predisposition to be social, to interact and form bonds with
others of their species.

Nurture

What is naturally or inherently you

Nature

What things in your environment that have nurtured, or influenced you into becoming you?

Adoption Studies

Enable comparison with both genetic and environmental relatives

• Adoptees traits bear more similarities to their bio parents Thant o their caregivers

• research does show that adoptive parents do influence their children’s attitudes, values, manners, faith andpolitscs

Genes and environment work together

Genes are self regulating; they can react differently in different environments

Environmental influences

Womb: health of bother affects health of placental environment which affects the fetus

From birth: determine behavior as well as biological make up

Environmental influences: parents

Mire influenced when it comes to education, discipline, responsibility, orderliness, charitableness, and ways of interacting with authority figure

Environmental influences: Peers

more important for learning cooperating, for finding the road to popularity, and for inventing styles of interactions among people of the same age

Environmental influences : Culture 

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions, shared by a large group of people and transmitted from the generation to next