Debate on Nature versus Nurture

First, it will be significant if we start by knowing what we mean by nature and nurture. The term nature entails the genes and hereditary factors that influence how people are. It encompasses both the physical and personality features of an individual. On the other hand, nurture describes the environmental variables that make people how they are (Biémont, & Vieira, 2006). Therefore, the environmental variables include but are not limited to the social relationship, culture, and childhood experiences. Nature versus nurture debate is based on finding how the genetic inheritance and the environmental factors have contributed to the development of human. According to the view of some of the greatest philosopher such as Plato, they argue that some things are inborn (Davies, 2001). Therefore, the behavior of a person does not need to be influenced by the environmental factors; rather they occur naturally. Similarly, another argument was that all or most of the behaviors portrayed by people are as a result of inheritance. Other believed that people’s behaviors are as a result of experience or learning (Newman, & Newman, 2014).

Precisely, the following are ways in which the genetic and environmental influences interact to influence the development of an individual. Biologically, nature is behind a person growth from the fetus to a normal adult. Similarly, the genetic makeup of an individual is responsible for the skin color of an individual, sex, hair and all features that we inherited. Therefore, nature uses the genetic coding and this will help to develop a person physically. Moreover, nurture can be used by parents to improve the positive traits in their child and reduce the effects of the negative characteristics (Vernon, 2014). For example, height is one of the traits that have been influenced by the interaction of nature and nurture. A child might be born from a family where people are tall, and he/she has the same gene. However, in case he/she does not get proper nourishment, or the environment is not supporting, then he/she might end up not being tall.

In conclusion, throughout the history of psychology, the debate has continued to propel controversy. According to my research on various resources, the majority of the experts believe that both nature and nurture play a significant role in influencing the behavior and development of a person. However, the degree to which the biological and environmental factors influence behavior is still on debate.

 

Reference

Biémont, C., & Vieira, C. (2006). Genetics: junk DNA as an evolutionary force. Nature, 443(7111), 521-524.

Davies, K. (2001, April 17). Nature vs. Nurture Revisited. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/nature-versus-nurture-revisited.html

Newman, B., & Newman, P. (2014). Development through life: A psychosocial approach. Cengage Learning.

Vernon, P. E. (2014). Intelligence and Cultural Environment (Psychology Revivals). Routledge.

 

 

 
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