Nature vs nurture

Question 1

What are the 2 AO1s

Answer 1

Nature vs nurture
Diathesis stress and epigenetics

Question 2

AO1: old vs current debate

Answer 2

Historically, the nature nurture debate revolved around whether behaviour was rooted in nativism or empiricism, with tension between the views. The current debate concerns the relative importance of each thorough the interactionist approach

Question 3

AO1: What is the interactionist approach?

Answer 3

The interactionist approach is the view that both nature and nurture work together to shape human behaviour

Question 4

AO1: nativism (nature) vs empirisicm (nurture)

Answer 4

Nativism is placing an emphasis on being born with certain innate traits. Empiricism, on the other hand, states that all knowledge is derived from experience and that you are born as a blank slate (tabula rasa)

Question 5

AO1: where do some of the appraoches lie on the nature nurture debate?

Answer 5

The biological approach sits on the nature side of the spectrum while the cognitive, humanistic and psychodynamic approaches sits in the middle. SLT and behaviourism lean towards the nurture Sid of the debate.

Question 6

What are the 3 AO3s for nature and nurture?

Answer 6

Holistic (+) - multi-dimensional, complete explanation, adequate

PPA (+) - March et al (2007) 865% vs 81%, complex interplay, tailored, effective treatment

Cannot disentangle nature from nurture (-) - MZ vs DZ, relative contributions, predict and control, sci cred, limited theoretical value

Question 7

Holistic (+) - multi-dimensional, complete explanation, adequate

Answer 7

P: An advantage of the interactionist approach to the nature-nurture debate is that it is holistic
E : For instance, it considers the contributions of both nature and nurture as opposed to the historical debate where psychologists had to choose between them.
E: This has been an important perspective in psychological research as it gives us a deeper insight into the multi-dimensional causes of a disorder. As such, we may have more of a complete explanation of behaviour. This may provide the approach with high explanatory power.
L: Therefore, perhaps the interactionist approach to understanding the nature-nurture debate can more adequately explain the complexity of behaviour, rather than either of the two

Question 8

PPA (+) - March et al (2007) 86% vs 81%, complex interplay, tailored, effective treatment

Answer 8

P: A strength of the interactionist approach is that is has positive practical applications
E: For instance, March et al. (2007) found that with a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and antidepressants in treating depression, 86% of their participants significantly improved compared to 81% from just CBT or just antidepressants.
E: The interactionist approach in the nature-nurture debate provides an explanation for why CBT is not effective for everyone as behaviour is determined by a complex interplay of factors. This viewpoint allows for a tailored treatment plan for each individual. This is because one person may respond better to antidepressants and another may respond better to CBT. As such, more people can be treated more effectively.
L: Therefore, the modern-day debate of nature-nurture can be praised for its importance in allowing for treatment plans

Question 9

Cannot disentangle nature from nurture (-) - MZ vs DZ, relative contributions, predict and control, sci cred, limited theoretical value

Answer 9

P: In spite of both N and N clearly contributing to behaviours it is still difficult to disentangle nature from nurture
E: For instance, when using twin studies to determine the relative contribution of nature v nurture, it is hard to determine whether a higher concordance rate in MZ than DZ twins is due to similar environmental experiences or genetics.
E: This matters because it may mean it is difficult to determine the relative contributions of nature and nurture for certain characteristics this in turn may make it hard to predict and control behaviour, one of psychology’s prominent aims. This means that the approach may lack scientific credibility
L: Therefore, the interactionist approach may have limited theoretical value

Question 10

AO1: what is the diathesis stress model

Answer 10

Diathesis means biological vulnerability, where a biological factor can be triggered by an environmental factor (the stressor)

Question 11

AO1: example of diathesis-stress

Answer 11

An example is schizophrenia, with its environmental trigger being smoking cannabis.

Question 12

AO1: what are epigenetic mechanisms

Answer 12

Epigenetic mechanisms control the expression of genes.

Question 13

AO1: outline the process of methylation of histone proteins

Answer 13

1. Groups of atoms can attach to the ammo acids in the histone proteins and change their characteristics.
2. For example, when methyl groups (-CH3) attach to histone proteins, the regions of DNA wound around them draws in more tightly, which prevents these regions from being translated into messenger RNA.
3. Thus, methylation of histone proteins prevents the expression of particular genes

Question 14

AO1: what can be said about epigenetics in terms of the environment and offspring

Answer 14

Many epigenetic changes are initiated by environmental events such as exposure to toxins, and some epigenetic changes can be transmitted to offspring.

Question 15

What is the AO3 for epigenetics? (+)

Answer 15

Supporting evidence comes from Weaver et al. (2004) who found that rats that received better maternal care had less stress-related genes activated, while those who received worse maternal care had more stress-related genes activated. - interactionist, explanatory power, sci cred, interactionist.

Question 16

AO3: Supporting evidence comes from Weaver et al. (2004) who found that rats that received better maternal care had less stress-related genes activated, while those who received worse maternal care had more stress-related genes activated. - interactionist, explanatory power, sci cred, interactionist.

Answer 16

P - The idea that behaviour is a complex interaction between nature and nurture has been validated by scientific evidence into epigenetics.
E - Supporting evidence comes from Weaver et al. (2004) who found that rats that received better maternal care had less stress-related genes activated, while those who received worse maternal care had more stress-related genes activated. This suggests that parenting and nurturing can impact genetic expression and behaviour in animals.
E - As such, it is evident that behaviours like stress can be best explained by an interactionist approach that acknowledges the role that both nature and nurture play in determining behaviours. Such evidence gives the interactionist approach explanatory power and scientific credibility thus increasing the theoretical value of interactionist explanations.
L - Therefore, it is evident that some behaviours are in fact governed by both nature and nurture and the study of epigenetic factors should be encouraged to further our knowledge of the complex causes of different behaviours.