Nature Nurture debate

what is nature

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

what is heredity

the process by which traits are passed down from one generation to another

what is nurture

the view that behaviour is a product of environmental influences

what is the interactionist approach to the nature nurture debate

the view that both nature and nurture interact and work together to shape human behaviour

what is the diathesis stress in relation to nature nurture debate

a psychological theory that attempts to explain the cause of a disorder as the result of an interaction between a pre-dispositional vulnerability (diathesis) and a stress caused by life experiences

what is the name of someone who takes the nature side of the debate and what is the assumption

natavist position

the assumption is that the characteristics of the human species are a product of evolution and that individual differences are the result if each persons unique genetic code

what psychological research is there that takes the natavist position and why

• Bowlby’s monotropic theory. Bowlby proposed that children come into the world biologically programmed to form attachments because this will help them to survive. this suggests that attachment behaviours are naturally selected and passed on as a result of genetic inheritance. this is supported by Lorenz and Harlow

• Gottesman’s family, twins and adoption study. studies show that the closer the relatedness of two people, the more likely it is that they will show the same behaviours. Gottesman found the risk increases to 46% for those with two parents who have schizophrenia. this emphasises the importance of the contribution of genetics on behaviour and therefore provides evidence for the nature side.

what is the name of someone who takes the nurture side of the debate and what is the assumption

environmentalists/ empiricists.

hold the opinion that the human mind is a tabula rasa and that this is gradually filled as a result of experience.

what psychological research is there that takes the empiricist position and why

• classical conditioning: explaination for attachment, phobias (little Albert) and Pavlov.

• Bobo dolls

• operant conditioning: skinners rats

nature nurture debate AO3: too simplistic

it is too simplistic to consider nature and nurture in isolation of one another and the interactionist approach suggests that human characteristics and behaviour are best explained by how both our biology and our environment interact.

nature nurture debate AO3: Nature can affect nurture

Nature can affect nurture and this interaction can be demonstrated through the diathesis stress model of behaviour. Tianari et all’s study followed 19,000 children adopted from mothers with schizophrenia. they assessed the adoptive parent’s child-rearing style and the rates of schizophrenia in the children. they found that high levels of criticism and conflict were linked to the development of schizophrenia in only the children who had a high genetic risk. the research concludes that both genetic vulnerability and family related stress contribute to the development of schziophrenia and genetically vulnerable children are more sensitive to parenting behaviour. this research provides strong evidence that schizophrenia is best explained by looking at an interaction between genetic inheritence and environmental triggers.

nature nurture debate AO3: nature and nurture can be combined to explain neural plasticity

nature and nurture can be combined to explain neural plasticity is another example of how nature and nurture interact. the brain can reorganise itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. neuroplasticiy is a term which describes the changes in the structure of the brain as a result of life experience. For example, Maguire et al investigated the hippocampi volume of london taxi drivers brains. she found that this region of the brain was larger in taxi drivers in comparision to non-taxi drivers. the hippocampus is an area of the brain heavily involved in spatial skills in humans and animals. consequently, maguire concluded that the rigorous training including learning and recalling all of the London streets actually had an effect on the size of the hippocampi supporting the theory of neural plasticity and the interaction of nature and nurture.