ESSAY : DISCUSS THE NATURE NURTURE DEBATE

WHAT DOES NATURE ARGUE

Behaviour is the product of innate biological of genetic factors. This is often known as the nativist position in which the basic assumption that the human species are a product of evolution. Heredity.

NURTURE DEBATE

Human behaviour is the product of environmental influences. This is known as the empiricist position and the basic assumption is that the human mind is a ‘tabula rasa’ (blank slate) and that everything is the result of experience in the environment

WHAT DOES THE INTERACTIONIST APPROACH SAY

Explanation of behaviour in terms of biological and environmental factors. Behaviour isnt caused by one or the other, but both. E.g. diathesis stress model to explaining mental disorders. It suggests psychopathology is caused bya biological or genetic vulnerability (the diathesis) which os rhen combined wifh a trigger (the stressor)

BIOLOGY SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT BOWLBYS MONOTROPIC THEORY

He argues that infats are born with an innate drive to form attachments, which has evolved to ensure survival by keeping the child close to a caregiver. Supports the view that attachment is result of nature. Lorenz’s study on imprinting in geese provides evidence for innate attachment, as the goslings formed an attachment with the first moving object they saw. These findings suggest attachment behaviours are biologically programmed and not learned through experience, highlighting nurtures role in the development of attachment

NURTURE EVALUATION - ENVIRONMENTAL BASIS OF ATTACHMENT

Schaffer and Emerson found that infants were more likely to form attachments with caregivers who responded sensitively to their needs, rather than those who spent the most time with them. Suggests attachment is shaped by caregiver responsiveness and supports the view that attachment is the result of nature. Additionally, cross cultural research by Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg has shown variations in attachment styles depending on parenting practices, indicating that attachment is influenced by social and cultural environment in which a child is raised. These findings highlight the importance of external factors and learning in the development of attachment behaviours

INTERACTIONIST EVALUATION

psychologists believe we should consider nature and nurture and adopt an interactionist approach when explaining attachment. This is the idea that biological predispositions and environmental influences are linked and work together to shape attachment behaviours. A well known example of the interactionist approach is the diathesis stress model which can be applied to attachment by suggesting that while infants may have an innate tendency to form bonds, the expression of secure or insecure attachment styles depends on environmental factors like caregiver sensitivity or early life experiences