4. nature nurture debate

how is the nature nurture debate seen

not seen as much as a debate, but more the relative contribution of each influence - ie how the two interact

• the ‘debate’ is concerned with the extent to which aspects of behaviour are a product of inherited or acquired characteristics

what is an interactionist approach

a way to explain the development of behaviour in terms of a range of factors, including both biological and psychological ones

• most importantly such factors dont simply add together but combine in a way that cant be predicted by each one separately - ie they interact

the diathesis stress model

suggests behaviour is caused by a biological or environmental vulnerability (diathesis) which is only expressed when coupled with a biological or environmental trigger (stressor)

• eg OCD

what is epigentics

refers to a change in our genetic activity without changing the genes themselves

• process that happens throughout life and caused by interaction with environment - lifestyle aspects (eg smoking, trauma) leave marks on our DNA that switch genes on or off

• explains why factors have a lifelong influence even after you stop as they change the way your genes are expressed

impacts of epigentics on the debate

these epigentic changes may go on and influence the genetic codes of our children as well as their children

• therefore introduces a third element into the nature nurture debate - the life experience of previous generations

nature

refers to inherited influences, or heredity

• early nativists eg descartes argued all human characteristics are innate - psychological characteristics like intelligence or personality are determined by biological factors (genes) just as physical factors like eye colour are

what is heredity

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

nurture

refers to the influence of experience and the environment

• empiricists eg locke argued the mind is a blank slate at birth and then shaped by the environment - later became an important feature of behaviourism

work by lerner

identified different levels of the environment

• prenatal factors = how physical influences (smoking) or psychological influences (music) affect a foetus

• more generally development is influenced postnatally in terms, eg of the social conditions a child grows up in

what is environment

any influence on behaviour that is non genetic

• may range from prenatal influences in the womb through to cultural and historical influences at a societal level

• it includes biological influences eg the food you eat may affect your mental development and physical growth

approaches stance

NATURE

biological

psychodynamic

cognitive

social

learning

NURTURE

biological

nativist

• characteristics come from genes and brain structures

• recognises brain plasticity so there is some allowance for nurture

psychodynamic

nativist

• characteristics come from ID and sex drive

• fixed psychosexual stages

• but parenting is important too so there is nurture as well

cognitive

interactionist

• some believe cognitions are learned like behaviours

• however cognitions are also influenced by brain structure (neurocognition)

social

nurturist

• characteristics come from social situations

• recognises how social behaviour has evolved so there may also be predispositions at work

learning

nurturist

• characteristics come from experience

• we are borth tabulu rasa (blank slate)

nature evaluation

1. real world applications

2. negative implications

real world application

• has practical benefits

• OCD is highly heritable (.76 according to nestadt) and such understanding helps inform genetic counselling as those at risk can take preventative steps eg stress management

• shows the debate is not just theoretical but helps in healthcare and prevention

negative implications

• has ethical and social implications

• the nativist view is an extreme determinist stance where it is believed anatomy is destiny - linked to eugenic policies

• dangerous if genetics is seen as fixed whereas the behaviourist view offers change through environment - important to balance views as extreme positions can lead to harm

nurture evaluation

1. research support

2. epigenetics

3. reductionist

epigentics

• shows how environment influences genes across generations

• eg WW2 the nazis blocked the disribution of food to the dutch people - women who became pregnant during the famine went on to have low birth weight babies who were twice as likely to develop schizophrenia when they grew up

• shows life experiences of one generation can leave epigentic markers influencing the following generations

research support

• from twin studies

• they are conducted to investigate a biological basis to behaviour and tend to conversely support nurture argument as they fail to find 100% concordance between MZ twins - suggests upbringing and life experiences also contribute

• bolsters argument environment is a key influence on behaviour as behaviour is not solely the product of genetic inheritance

reductionist

• oversimplifies complex behaviours by explaining them solely in terms of environmental influences

• eg behaviourist theories such as banduras SLT suggest behaviours like aggression are learned entirely through observation and imitation of role models ignoring biological factors like hormonal influences - fails to consider how innate predispositions may interact to shape behaviour so a less comprehensive explanation

• thus lacks validity limiting usefulness in fully understanding human behaviour