Key Terms of Nature and Nurture

Question 1

Nature

Answer 1

Behaviour is biologically determined by innate influences on behaviour that don’t need to be present at birth but just determined by genes. These characteristics are inherited so are genetically transmitted through generations, if changed due to creating an evolutionary advantage - referencing evolutionary factors. (nativists) E.g. biological approach, and psychodynamic approach are on the nature side.

Question 2

Heritability Coefficient

Answer 2

Used to determine if something is influenced by genetics using a scale of 0-1.

Question 3

Political Problems with Nature

Answer 3

Nature linked to eugenics (selective breeding), as argue that the human population can be improved through this if all behaviour is due to nature, enforced by Nazis, for example.

Question 4

Nurture

Answer 4

Behaviour is environmentally determined by experiences that can occur before or after birth. Three different levels of environment, mother’s physical and psychological state during pregnancy, post natal experiences, and cultural and historical context a part of (Lerner). (empiricists) E.g. behaviourist approach and social learning theory are on the nurture side.

Question 5

Tabula Rasa

Answer 5

Born as blank slates and environment shapes us (Locke).

Question 6

Political Problems with Nurture

Answer 6

Leads to brutal social regimes to get people to perform desirable behaviours. Argue if all behaviours shaped by environment then they can alter behaviour through altering their environment to encourage/discourage them. Stalin believed he could condition people to behave how he wanted them to.

Question 7

Interactionist Approach

Answer 7

Nature and nurture are so closely intertwined that not practical to separate so need to consider how they interact with each other making them both vital to understand human behaviour. E.g. in twin studies hard to tell if concordance rates are due to shared genetics or shared upbringing.

Question 8

Diathesis Stress Model

Answer 8

Inherited genetic vulnerability (diathesis) interacts with the environmental stressor (stress) which can trigger the onset of a psychological disorder. The stronger the diathesis, the less stress needed to trigger it.

Question 9

Epigenetics

Answer 9

Change in genetic activity without changing genetic code, so lifestyle and events leave an epigenetic mark on DNA. Marks tells body which genes to ignore and which to use. May influence genetic code of children.

Question 10

Concordance Rates

Answer 10

Describe rate of probability that two people with shared genes will develop same characteristics, Monozygotic twins share 100% DNA, dizygotic 50%, if MZ significantly less than 100% conclude partly due to nurture, if significantly higher than DZ than conclude partly due to nature, if 100% then entirely due to nature, if MZ and DZ similar conclude due to nature. (when using assume twins share same environment)