nature/nurture debate Flashcards
(30 cards)
What is the nature-nurture debate?
The nature-nurture debate concerns the extent to which aspects of behaviour are a product of inherited (nature) or acquired (nurture) characteristics.
What does ‘heredity’ mean in psychology?
Heredity refers to the genetic transmission of both mental and physical characteristics from one generation to another.
What is meant by ‘environment’ in the context of the nature-nurture debate?
Environment refers to any influence on human behaviour that is non-genetic, including prenatal influences, cultural, historical, and societal factors.
What is the interactionist approach?
The interactionist approach explains the development of behaviour in terms of both nature and nurture working together, rather than separately.
What is an example of the interactionist approach in attachment?
John Bowlby claimed a baby’s attachment type is determined by parental love (nature), while Jerome Kagan argued it is also influenced by the child’s temperament (heredity), showing both nature and nurture interact.
What is the diathesis-stress model?
The diathesis-stress model suggests behaviour is caused by a biological or environmental vulnerability (diathesis) combined with a biological or environmental ‘trigger’ (stressor).
How does the diathesis-stress model explain OCD?
A person with a genetic vulnerability for OCD may not develop the disorder unless triggered by a psychological factor, such as a traumatic experience.
What is epigenetics?
Epigenetics refers to changes in gene activity without changing the genes themselves, often caused by interaction with the environment.
How can lifestyle factors affect gene expression?
Aspects of lifestyle or events (e.g., trauma, smoking) can leave ‘marks’ on DNA, affecting gene expression and potentially being passed to future generations.
What is meant by ‘nature’ in the debate?
Nature refers to inherited influences or heredity, including genetic factors that shape psychological and physical characteristics.
What is meant by ‘nurture’ in the debate?
Nurture refers to the influence of experience and the environment, including upbringing, culture, and learning.
Who are empiricists in the nature-nurture debate?
Empiricists, like philosopher John Locke, argue that knowledge is shaped by the environment, supporting the behavioural approach.
What is ‘measuring nature and nurture’?
The influence of nature or nurture can be estimated using a correlation coefficient called heritability, which measures how much variation in a trait is due to genetics.
What does a heritability figure of 0.01 mean?
A heritability of 0.01 means that genes account for only 1% of the variation in a trait among individuals.
What is the strength of adoption studies in this debate?
Adoption studies help separate the influences of nature and nurture by comparing adopted children to their biological and adoptive parents.
What did Soo Rhee and Irwin Waldman (2002) find in their meta-analysis of adoption studies?
They found that genetic influences accounted for 41% of the variance in aggression.
What is niche-picking in the context of nature-nurture?
Niche-picking refers to the idea that people create their own ‘nurture’ by actively selecting environments that are appropriate for their nature.
How does epigenetics support the nature-nurture debate?
Epigenetics shows that environmental effects can span generations, as environmental factors can leave marks on DNA that affect future generations.
What was the Dutch Hunger Winter?
During WWII, the Nazis blocked food to the Dutch, and women pregnant during the famine had children with higher rates of schizophrenia, showing environmental effects on gene expression.
What is a real-world application of the nature-nurture debate?
Understanding heritability can help identify individuals at risk for certain disorders and inform interventions.
How does the nature-nurture debate impact psychological research?
It highlights the importance of considering both genetic and environmental factors in understanding behaviour.
What is the main conclusion of the nature-nurture debate?
The debate is not about whether nature or nurture is more important, but about how they interact to shape behaviour.
How does the debate relate to the development of mental disorders?
Both genetic vulnerabilities and environmental triggers play a role in the development of mental disorders.
What is meant by ‘relative contribution’ in this debate?
Relative contribution refers to the extent to which nature and nurture each influence a particular behaviour or trait.
