Nature V Nurture
Nature
Nurture
People behave the way they do because they are determined by the things other people teach them, the things they observe around then and because of the different situations they are put in.
Situational causes- external to the person
People behave the way they do because they are animals who act in accordance with their animal instincts
Dispositional Causes - Within the person
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DETERMINISTIC
Interactionist
Empiricism- We are both with only very basic mechanisms which allow us to learn from the environment e.g. the senses. Everything we become is due to our experience. (Behaviourism)
Nativism- We are born with characteristics and pre-programmed behaviours. Influence of genetic factors. Use of twin studies. Biological approach, evolutionary theory
Based on the idea that human beings as they interact with one another give meaning to themselves, others and the world around them, and use those meanings as a basis for making decisions and for taking action in their everyday lives.
Genetic factors give predispositions to certain behaviour but these are mediated by environmental factors
Diathesis-stress model
According to this model, people are born with a genetic predisposition to mental illness but it is environmental factors which trigger the development of the mental illness.
Epigenetics The environment influences the way our genes are expressed without changing the genes. These changes can be passed on to the next generation.
Constructivism People seek the environment which is more suited to their natural dispositions. People also shape their environment for example the temperament of an infant will contribute to the formation and the type of attachment he will have with his primary care giver.
Questions arising from Nature V Nurture Debate
Why is this an issue in society?
It changes the way that we view human behaviour and the potential to change it. If a behaviour is seen to be deterministic by nature, it suggests that genetics and brain structure are fixed and can't be changed.
Why is this a debate in psychology?
It's a debate because different theorists in psychology emphasise different elements when trying to explain behaviour.
How do we use twin studies to investigate nature-nurture?
One way of investigating the nature-nurture debate is to study twins. There are two types of twins, mono zygotic and zygotic.
MZ twins share 100% of their DNA whilst DZ twins share only 50%.
Twin studies measure concordance rates that tell us the percentage of cases where a behaviour occurs in both twins. If the behaviour is genetic, we'd expect the concordance rate to be higher amongst MZ twins because they are more genetically similar.
How do we use adoption studies to investigate nature-nurture?
Adoption studies are carried out because the environment if adopted children is not the same as that of their biological families, yet they have genetics in common.
The problem is that children usually have both genes and the environment in common. Researchers can therefore use adoption studies to eliminate this problem. If adopted children are more similar to their adoptive parents on a characteristic, we can assume this characteristic results from nature.
How do we cross cultural studies to investigate nature-nurture?
By studying populations in different cultures we can determine is a characteristic is due to the environment or if it has a genetic base.
If the characteristic is found in every culture we can say that it is likely to be a result of nature whereas if it is not found in every culture it can be said to be due to nurture.
Describe the nature and nurture elements of cognitive psychology
Nature:
. The computer processing model- We are born with the basic brain parts that have a basic function that cannot be changed.
. Lots if ideas are universal e.g. Memory Span, Confabulation.
Nurture:
. The way that we decide which information to process is due to our experiences and individual differences.
. Schemas are unique to each individual.
Describe the nature and nurture elements of social psychology
Nature:
. Personality is something we're born with
. From and evolutionary bias we have evolved to form groups to survive.
Nurture:
. Authoritarian Personality theory says we learn our personality as a result of our parents opinions when we are children.
. Socialisation
. Obedience- Agency theory which states that we follow orders of authority figures.
. Social Impact Theory.
Describe the nature and nurture elements of biological psychology
Nature: Genes, Brain Structure, Hormones, Evolution all link to aggression, criminality and mental illness
Nurture: Drug abuse is a choice and this life decision affects neurotransmitters and hormones
Brain plasticity- London taxi drivers who have to know lots of routes have a denser hippocampus according to McGuire
Describe the nature and nurture elements of learning theories
Nature:
. Reflexes are natural as is the tendency to learn by association and reward
Nurture:
. Gender appropriate behaviours are learnt through role models
. SIM and Operant Conditioning
. Classical Conditioning
. Phobias are not innate
Describe the nature and nurture elements of Criminal Psychology
Nature
XYY as an explanation for aggression however this only links to males
Damage to brain structure and amygdala
Raine Et Al
Nurture
Labelling and self fulfilling prophecy
Role models and Social Learning theory