Nature vs nurture + A03

Nature: What is the nature view?

Nature argues that behaviour = the product of innate biological or genetic factors.

What is heredity?

The process by which traits are passed down genetically from 1 generation to the next.

What is the Nativist approach?

Argues human characteristics = result of evolution + each person’s unique genetic code.

What evidence supports the nature explaination?

• Family, twin + adoption studies show closer genetic relatives behaviours are more alike.

• Gottesman & Shields (1991) - schizophrenia risk rises to 46% if both parents ave it.

• Joseph (2004) - MZ twins concordance = 40.4%, DZ twins = 7.4%.

What do Nativist’s mean by maturation?

Biologically programmed development where behaviours emerge according to a genetic timetable.

How does Huntington’s disease support the Nature view?

Huntington’s disease = inherited genetically + develops because the genetic cause = already present.

How do evolutionary explanations support Nature view?

They argue behaviours/ characteristics that increase survival + reproduction = naturally selected + passed on genetically.

Give an example Case Study of evolutionary support for Nature view?

Bowlby argued babies = biologically programmed to form attachment because they increase survival.

Nurture: What is the Nurture view?

Argues behaviour = shaped by environmental influences + experiences.

What do environmentalists’s believe about the mind?

It’s a tabula rasa - blank slate, filled by experience. Proposed by John Locke.

Who also supported the Nurture view?

John Watson (1913) - argued any healthy infant could become almost anything depending on their environment.

How do environmentalist’s explain behaviour + psychological characteristics?

Develop thru learning + experience thru infancy + childhood.

How do behaviourists (Nurture) explain attachment?

Thru classical conditioning - food (US) becomes associated with mother (NS) who becomes CS eliciting conditioned response, producing attachment.

How does Bandura support Nurture view?

Aggression = learnt thru observation, imitation + vicarious reinforcement (SLT). But did acknowledge bio aspect -interactionist approach

How does the double blind theory support Nurture view?

Batson et al suggested schizophrenia = result of disordered family communication.

(1 overt instruction -e.g;’come to me’ to a child while another is covert- tone=rejecting). Prolonged exposure = schiz symptoms.

Interactionist Approach: What is the interactionist approach?

View that behaviour = best explained by interaction between nature + nurture.

How does PKU (genetic disorder) support the interactionist approach?

PKU = genetic, but symptoms can be prevented by a low-protein diet (nurture), showing genes (nature) interact w the environment.

What is the Diathesis-Stress models link in interactionist?

= a disorder develops only when a genetic vulnerability is triggered by environmental ‘stressor’.

What example supports the diathesis-stress model?

The Finish Adoption Study - compared 155 adopted children with biological mothers having schizophrenia. Children with genetic risk developed schizophrenia mainly when raised in disturbed environments.

How does neural plasticity support interactionism?

Experience (nurture) changes the brain structure (nature) forming new neural connections, showing nurture can influence biology.

How does Maguire et al (2000) support neuroplasticity in interactionism?

Found that London taxi drivers had larger hippocampi after extensive navigation experience.

Concluding driving a taxi (nurture) acc effected size of hippocampi (nature).

Who proposed the 3 types of gene-environment interactions + what are they?

Proposed by Plomin et al (1977)

• Passive

• Evocative/reactive

• Active

What is passive gene-environment interaction?

Parent passes on genes + provides an environment that matches those genes (which influence child’s development).

E.g; highly intelligent parents=likely to pass on intelligence genes to children + provide high levels of good education etc.

What is evocative gene-environment interaction?

A person’s inherited traits influence how others respond to them (+the env provided by others).

E.g; shy child (partially bio) = less fu, ppl don’t want to play w hem → env.=child socially withdrawn.

What is active gene-environment interaction?

People seek environments that match their genetic tendencies (“niche-picking”).

E.g; aggressive child may chose to watch violent films + do contact sport.

What is the nature-nurture debate?

The debate over whether behaviour is mainly caused by genetic inheritance or environmental influences.

A03 Strength 1: Why is the interactionist approach considered more realistic?

Now widely accepted that heredity + env don’t act independently + nature and nurture=essential for almost all behaviour.

Strength 2: what research supports interactionism?

Finish Adoption Study supports the diathesis-stress model by showing both genetic vulnerability and+ env triggers = important.

Strength 3: How does PKU support interactionism?

A genetic disorder can be prevented thru env intervention (low-protein diet for 12yrs), showing genes = not destiny.

Strength 4: How does Maguire et al support interactionism?

Experience (long taxi drivers) altered brain structure (hippocampi), demonstrating nurture can affect biological processes.

A03 Weakness 1: Why is it difficult to separate nature and nurture?

Genes + env constantly interact, making it impossible to measure their independent effects accurately.

Weakness 2: Why are twin and family studies limited?

They cannot completely separate effects of shared genes from shared environments → difficulty in deciding if it’s due to nature or nurture.

Weakness 3: Why can interactionism be criticised?

It explains behaviour as a combination of factors but does not always specify exactly how much each contributes.