Nature vs Nurture

Question 1

What is meant by the nature-nurture debate in psychology?

Answer 1

The nature-nurture debate discusses whether human behaviour is due to nature (genes) or nurture (environment)

Question 2

What do nativist psychologists believe in the importance of?

Answer 2

Heredity

Question 3

Define heredity

Answer 3

The idea that human characteristics/behaviours are innate and passed on from one generation to the next via genes.

Question 4

The idea that …………….. characteristics/behaviours are …………. and passed on from one ……………………. to the next via …………

Answer 4

Human
innate
generation
genes

Question 5

What is an example of the nurture debate?

Answer 5

Bowlby’s monotropic theory

Question 6

What does Bowlby’s monotropic theory state?

Answer 6

That babies come into the world biologically programmed to form attachments through behaviours such as social releasers because this will help them survive. Therefore, attachment is innate.

Question 7

What do babies come into the world biologically programmed to do?

Answer 7

Form attachments

Question 8

What do empiricists argue?

Answer 8

The mind is a ‘blank slate’ at birth and our behaviour is shaped by our environment, learning and experience.

Question 9

What is an example of the nurture debate?

Answer 9

The theory of classical conditioning

Question 10

Describe classical conditioning

Answer 10

Food is associated with the mother and through repeated pairings the mother becomes a CS which produces a CR in the child of pleasure. Therefore attachment is a learned behaviour

Question 11

What type of behaviour is attachment?

Answer 11

A learned behaviour

Question 12

When do environmental influences begin in a child’s life?

Answer 12

As soon as they are born

Question 13

It is difficult to tell whether high concordance rates in twins are a result of…

Answer 13

Shared genetics or shared upbringing

Question 14

How has the nature-nurture debate changed in recent years?

Answer 14

Psychologists are more concerned with the relative contribution of each.

Question 15

What stance does the interactionist approach take?

Answer 15

One between the extreme nature and extreme nurture debate

Question 16

What does in interactionist approach argue?

Answer 16

Both genetics and the environment play a part in human behaviour

Question 17

The approach states that genetics…

Answer 17

Give us a predisposition to certain behaviours

Question 18

What are genetics influenced by?

Answer 18

The environment

Question 19

What is an example of genetics being influenced by the environment?

Answer 19

The diathesis stress model to explain schizophrenia

Question 20

Explain the diathesis stress model

Answer 20

An individual may be born with a gene which makes them vulnerable to schizophrenia but may not develop the disorder unless they experience a stressful life event

Question 21

AO3
What can the nature debate not be the full explanation of?

Answer 21

Human behaviour

Question 22

In terms of the nature debate, if MZ twins share 100% genes what should they also have?

Answer 22

100% concordance rates

Question 23

What are sz concordance rate in MZ twins

Answer 23

48%

Question 24

What is the link for this PEEL

Answer 24

Therefore, there must be other factors that affect human behaviour such as the environment

Question 25

What is it important to consider when explaining human behaviour?

Answer 25

Both hereditary and environmental influences

Question 26

Define constructivism

Answer 26

An individual creates their own nurture by actively seeking environments which are appropriate for their nature

Question 27

Give an example of constructivism

Answer 27

A naturally aggressive child is likely to feel more comfortable around children who show similar behaviours and will choose their environment according to this