Nature and Nurture

Question 1

What are two philosophical reasons for our interest in the relative roles of nature and nurture on individuals?

Answer 1

• We are interested in where individual skills come from.
• We are interested in what makes us who we are.

Question 2

What is a practical reason for the interest in the relative roles of nature and nurture on individuals?

Answer 2

To identify how much we can shape the development of our own children.

Question 3

What is a societal reason for the interest in the relative roles of nature and nurture on individuals?

Answer 3

To identify how important early childcare is.

Question 4

What is a legal reason for the interest in the relative roles of nature and nurture on individuals?

Answer 4

To understand how best to assign responsibility.

Question 5

What is the essence of the nativist perspective of child development?

Answer 5

That we are all born with ideas and knowledge; we are not born ‘tabula rasa’ (blank slates).

Question 6

What do nativists believe about knowledge?

Answer 6

That no knowledge is gained exclusively via experience.

Question 7

What was the prominent nativist view held by Plato and Descartes?

Answer 7

One of innatism (they assumed that God placed ideas inside us before we are born).

Question 8

What did Plato and Descartes believe about experience?

Answer 8

That it is key to unlocking knowledge, but that it is not the source of knowledge itself.

Question 9

Which two subjects govern nativism?

Answer 9

• The field of genetics
• Cognitive psychology

Question 10

What do nativist perspectives believe about innate beliefs?

Answer 10

That they are genetically programmed to exist within the mind of any particular individual.

Question 11

Which two influential figures are examples of nativists?

Answer 11

• Chomsky
• Fodor

Question 12

What are three key features of innate knowledge according to the nativist perspective?

Answer 12

• It is universal (exists across cultures, between infants, etc.)
• It cannot be acquired solely via experience.
• It is genetically coded.

Question 13

What do nativists believe activate the same regions of the brain throughout the course of development?

Answer 13

Specific abilities

Question 14

What concept did Fodor promote?

Answer 14

The idea that the brain is architected in a modular fashion.

Question 15

Which two categories of participants would be most suitable to recruit for a major study investigating nativist perspectives?

Answer 15

• Infants
• Neonates

Question 16

What are two examples of potential investigations into nativist perspectives that could involve children and babies?

Answer 16

• Whether innate knowledge appears to be universal (whether it exists across cultures).
• Whether there are dedicated regions of the brain that relate to specific abilities.

Question 17

By which logic is the nativist perspective guided?

Answer 17

By the logic relating to ‘poverty of stimulus’ (indicating that it is impossible to learn purely via experience).