Nature vs nurture- ISSUES AND DEBATES

Question 1

AO1- nature

Answer 1

• all human behaviour is innate
• born with predispositions and pre-programmed behaviour
• IMPLICATION= behaviour can only be changed by physical means like brain surgery
• biological approach

Question 2

AO1- nurture

Answer 2

• all human behaviour is based on experience and learning from the environment
  -IMPLICATION= behaviour can easily be changed through controlling the environment
• behaviourist and SLT

Question 3

AO3- nature vs nurture

Answer 3

• PLOMIN–> people create their own ‘nurture’ based upon their nature, so impossible and illogical to separate nature and nurture
• biological determinism (nature)
• environmental determinism (nurture)
• twins who’ve grown up in the same house hold may have different concordance rates as individual differences could cause them to experience life events differently, eg different temperaments

Question 4

How does the nature-nurture debate relate to:

• Forensics
• Schizophrenia
• Gender

Answer 4

FORENSICS=
- nature says criminal behaviour caused by genes and hormones
- nurture says criminal behaviour learnt from environment eg differential association theory

SCHIZOPHRENIA=
- nature says it derives from neurotransmitters and genes
- nurture says environmental stressors trigger the onset of the disorder

GENDER
- nature says gender caused by chromosomes and hormones
- nurture says gender comes from observational learning and reinforcement of gender specific behaviour

Question 5

Compromise to the nature-nurture debate…

Answer 5

INTERACTIONISM

• can’t separate, instead study how they influence each other

eg

• PKU–> unable to metabolise phenylalanine, inherit a recessive gene but if diets is controlled then no adverse affects
• Schizophrenia diathesis-stress model