Preview

Nature vs Nurture, a Not Quite a Twin

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1684 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Nature vs Nurture, a Not Quite a Twin
Nature vs Nurture
A Not Quite Twin Study
Tamara Richardson
Seminole State College of Florida

Abstract
This paper is going to discuss the Nature vs Nurture debate. There will be history of the debate, where it is presently and where it may go in the future. We will look at the beginning of the debate, the battle that started with Descartes and was pushed further by BF Skinner, Bandura and Piaget. We will further look at Bandura and Piaget and look at Social learning theory verses biology. Interviews with a sibling set of sisters, one adopted and one biological separated by 4 months in age will show us how being raised in the same environment will over shadow biological beginnings. The Nature vs Nurture debate will be discussed in detail comparing and contrasting the sisters likes and dislikes, social skills, talents and education. We will see where the debate stands today. This has been a century’s long debate and we will touch on current research and what studies are showing.

Nature Vs Nuture
A Not Quite Twin Study
There has been a battle raging with experts poised on either side in the Nature vs Nurture debate. It is a battle that has been debated for many years dating back to Rene Descartes (1596-1650). Descartes was a French philosopher who believed that a person’s nature, where they came from, would influence the behavior they exhibited, the way they learned and their thought process. (Ipfw.edu, 2009) Descartes also believed that when we entered the world, we came with preconceived ideas about the world and that infants were born with knowledge of some aspects of life. (ipfw.edu, 2009) It would seem that Descartes believe that Nature played a stronger role in a person’s life. In contrast to Descartes, both B.F. Skinner and Albert Bandura believed that it was not genetics, but the environment in which a child is raised plays a far greater part in a person’s behavior. (Farmer-Dougan) Social Learning theory indicates that behavior is learned.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    One of the main arguments or discussions in psychology today is between nature and nurture influencing child development. Psychologists agree that one or both do influence child development. However, it is still a conflicting matter. Only the facts and experiences of others should influence people’s decisions on the two theories.…

    • 658 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Whether nature or nurture has more of an influence over individual development is debatable and has been a common argument in the field of psychology for a long time. Nature refers to inherited traits and genes given to us at birth which we have no control over, and nurture refers to family, friends or society. The exchange between nature and nurture is dynamic and complex and both nature and nurture cause dynamic and continuous influence on development. The relationship between nature and nurture cannot be explained definitively and it is hard to determine which one influences human development more.…

    • 961 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Serial Killers

    • 1314 Words
    • 6 Pages

    This literature review will analyze what people think about the nature versus nurture debate. It will talk about the nature side and the nurture side of the debate.…

    • 1314 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    For decades, nature versus nurture debate has been an ongoing argument among experts studying life span development. Those who believe that nature is the determining factor of development argue that genes determine an individual 's personality, attitudes, and behavior. The other side of the debate among experts is that nurture or experiences and environment have the most influence on development. Santrock states, "nature refers to an organism 's biological inheritance, nurture to its environmental experiences" (Santrock, 2007, p. 17). This paper will take the debate a little further by examining whether nature or nurture has more of an influence on children raised…

    • 928 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nature and Nurture interact; both are vital to understanding and explaining human behavior. Referring to this statement, discuss the nature – nurture debate in psychology (12 marks)…

    • 1097 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The ‘Nature’ versus ‘Nurture’ debate is a topic that has been discussed by Psychologists, Scientists and Philosophers for hundreds of years. It concerns individuals ‘innate’ qualities versus that of ‘learned’ behaviour and experiences.…

    • 1206 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nature Vs Nurture

    • 1774 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The nature & nurture issue is a long controversial issue that explains the significance of nature and nurture in several parts of individual development, such as personality, and intelligence. Nature inheritance is genetic behaviors passed from your parents. For example, some people have family genes that enable them to become successful in subjects such as mathematics and science, as well as verbal intelligence. Nurture experiences and learning takes effect after birth. This is what causes psychological characteristics to be established. For instance, if a child grows up in an abusive and dysfunctional home, they are more likely to look for stable and loving care outside the family.…

    • 1774 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nature vs. Nurture

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages

    For a long time, scientists and biologists have argued over whether our behavior is controlled solely by our genes or if the environment we are in has any effect. This is called nature versus nurture. No one knows which one dictates our behavior or if it is a combination of both. In this essay, I will attempt to answer some of the questions that come up in this age-old debate.…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nature vs. Nurture

    • 1713 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The nature versus nurture debate is an ongoing one. The debate is a controversy about the effects of biology and social systems on individual’s behaviour. The “nature” side argues that people are shaped primarily by genetics and biology. The “nurture” side argues that our participation in social life is the most important determinate of who we are and how we behave (Moore, 2001). When trying to find the “answer” to why humans develop differently, adoption and twin studies is an excellent way of studying if it is nature or nurture that makes us who we are. The nature versus nurture debate has identified issues and by using this research, there is now a new view; it is not primarily our environment and the genetic structure that are responsible for our behaviour it is both.…

    • 1713 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Nature vs Nurture

    • 969 Words
    • 3 Pages

    There has always been a large controversy over whether inherited genes or the environment influences and affects our personality, development, behavior, intelligence and ability. This controversy is most often recognized as the nature verses nurture conflict. Skinner talked a lot about natural selection in that we, as a species, must choose to learn as we progress to be able to survive as long as possible (Catania, 2003). This theory was a huge part of the battle between nature and nurture because Skinner’s arguments have so much science and testing behind them and his experimenting proved his hypothesis. Some people believe that it is strictly genes that affect our ways of life, others believe that it is the environment that affects us, and some believe that both of these influence our behavior. Either way, social scientists have been struggling for centuries deciding whether our personalities are born or made. Tests are done often on identical twins that were separated to see how they are each influenced by their separate environments.…

    • 969 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nature Vs Nurture

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Over the last decade, a debate in childhood development is taking place between nature and nurture. The underlying question of the debate is, whether nature or nurture is more important in determining child development. However, Rutter, Moffitt, and Caspi (2006) claimed that the issue is not nature versus nurture, but rather nature and nurture because both are important, which suggests that the way forward is to develop strategies that bring nature and nurture together to help us understand the development of complex traits. In fact, many psychologists have agreed upon that both nature and nurture do have an impact on childhood development (Moshman, Glover & Bruning, 1987). Over 90% of parents and teachers of young children believe that nature is as important as nurture in the development of a wide range of behavioral traits, including intelligence, learning disabilities, personality and mental illness (Walker & Plomin, 2005).…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Carl Jung once said, “I am not what has happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” The “Nature vs. Nurture” debate has been in question for a long time. Many have wondered what drives one’s behavior. While psychologists have developed many theories to suggest the higher influence, society hasn’t come to an agreement on the matter. The history of the rising of the nature vs. nurture debate, studies done due to this controversy, and evil beings in history significantly show that nurture overpowers the effects of nature. Some people believe that genes determine behavior while others think environment does, and while some disagree, nurturing and caring for an individual affects them more.…

    • 1227 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Francis Galton Twins

    • 2139 Words
    • 9 Pages

    In 1875, Sir Francis Galton presented the twin study in his article “The History of Twins, as a Criterion of the Relative Powers of Nature and Nurture”. In the article, Galton bares his claim of the importance of twins and the serendipitous life experiment that takes place throughout their lives. This serendipitous experiment he is referring to, is the effects of nature and nurture, or, propensities obtained at birth and those that were created by environment and circumstance. Twin studies performed today must give credit to Galton and his ideas and practices. Today, researchers can compare a breadth of different outcomes of twin research; identical (monozygotic) versus fraternal (dizygotic) twins, comparing adopted children to their adoptive…

    • 2139 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Nature vs. nurture debate is much the oldest argument in psychology. The phrase “Nature vs. nurture” was created by Francis Galton, who was an English polymath back in 1869. Many argue that one’s behavior that way because of their environment or that his parents and genes made him that way. Many questioned if they should blame the parents for bad parenting if their child is evil or is it his fault no matter who raised him. There are others that say that both are important roles.…

    • 87 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    if the parents raise them or influence the same way, then they can be alike in…

    • 198 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics