Nature versus Nurture Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is nature?
The idea that behavior is inborn
What is nurture?
Behavior is affected by upbringing and can be learned through interaction with the environment
What are areas that supports the Nurture side of the debate?
Behaviorist strongly emphasizes nurture:
=> e.g Bandura believes behaviors are caused by social learning,
What are areas that support the Nature side of the debate?
Biological and Individual differences emphasize nature:
=> e.g. Baron-Cohen believes being born with autism causes lack of theory of mind
What is the stance of the Psychodynamic perspective in the Nature/Nurture debate?
Interactionist position:
=> Freud believes both ID and childhood experiences affect adult behavior and personality
ID*: Inborn instinct
Nature/Nurture links to reductionism/holism
Most scientific studies tend to isolate nature or nurture factors
=> Reductionist because 1 or small number of factors are used to explain complex behavior
Nature/Nurture links to determinism/free will
Determinist theories rely on nature or nurture factors to explain behavior
=> Cannot choose genes (nature) or upbring (nurture). They are beyond one’s control
What is a strength of the Nature debate?
Allows for predictions of behavior (behavior cannot be changed)
What is a strength of the Nurture debate?
Useful for shaping children’s behavior
What is a weakness of the Nature debate?
- Socially sensitive
=> Increases discrimination towards those with predictors of unwanted behavior - Difficult to study scientifically
=> IV manipulation is not practically and ethically possible
What is a weakness of the Nurture debate?
Unethical to study with IV manipulation where factors impeding development are investigated e.g. Bandura
What are weaknesses of both Nature/Nurture?
- Both sides are too reductionist
- Both sides are too deterministic
