Essay on Nature vs. Nurture

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Nature vs. Nurture

The dubious history of the heredity environment controversy can be easily traced as far back as the start of the present century with at least some historical evidence placing the roots of this dispute in the time of John Locke.
This controversy has continued despite continual reiteration that the critical question is not how much of a trait is due to heredity and how much is due to environment, but rather how environment transact to influence development." (
Wachs , 1983, p. 386). This paper will focus on the nature/nurture controversy and the extent to which an individuals intellectual level is determined either by inborn intelligence or by environmental factors. The relative powers of nature …show more content…
This fact helps to illustrate that IQ is strongly influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.

ADOPTION STUDIES

Adoption studies are important for us to look at because they provide one of the few methods available for separating the effects of environment and heredity in intellectual development. When adopted children are more like their biological parents and siblings, we see the influence of heredity; when they resemble their adoptive families more, we see the influence of environment. The Texas Adoption Project (Horn, 1983) conducted intelligence tests from parents and children in 300 adoptive families and compared them with similar measurers available for the biological mothers of the same adopted children. The results of this study supported the hypotheses that genetic variability is an important influence in the development of individual differences for intelligence. The study also concluded that adopted children resemble their biological mothers more than they resemble the adoptive parents who reared them from birth. In an extensive study dealing with the mental growth of foster children after they had lived in their new homes found that on the whole, they improved their mental status, the

Nature Vs Nurture

The question of nature vs nurture in psychology is a question that humanity’s greatest minds have been debating for millennia. From Plato who believes in nature, against Aristotle who argued for nurture. To as recently as today where scientists are still trying to figure out the answer with no prevail. (Nature vs Nurture) The basic premise of this debate is whether the mind is influenced by the world around it or is already predetermined. In other words, certain people believe that the mind is a…

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Nature Vs Nurture

and what is taught to us. We are taught by our parents, by our teachers, by grandparents, by siblings, friends, ect.. but ultimately a parents wants there child to grow up knowing they taught them to do what was right and wrong. This is where Nature vs. Nurture come into play this is where we learn ones interest and abilities such as creativity, social skills, problem-solving ability, and so forth. Parents are the keys to intellectual development for almost all children in the care and education…

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Nature Vs Nurture

Some say that behavior results from nature, or one’s own genes, while others say that behavior results from nurture, or the environment. People are aware that both nature and nurture influence how humans live and think but exactly how much of human traits are determined by either nature and nurture remains unknown. Scientists may seem more engaged in the nature theory because of the biology and chemistry involved. This in turn leads to further research in the nature field. On the other hand, psychologists…

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Nature vs. Nurture Essay

Nature vs Nurture: Do You Choose Your Sexuality, Or Is It Genetic? The nature vs. nurture debate is one of the most enduring in the field of psychology because of the many different topics that can be attained in this single field. Psychologist have thought and asked questions of how far are human behaviors, ideas, and feeling, innate and how far are they all learned? These issues are at the center of the ongoing nature versus nurture controversy. The French philosopher Rene Descartes suggested…

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Nature Vs Nurture

In psychology, there are two main point of views when analysing the brain. The two main points are nature and nurture. Nurture is the theory that a person's behavior is determined in the womb. While, nature is the theory that your behavior is determined by your experience or environment. On May 21, 1960, Jeffrey Dahmer was born in West Allis, Wisconsin, raised by disheveled parents, Lionel and Joyce Dahmer. He was known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, an American serial killer and sex offender, who committed…

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Nature Vs Nurture

do a person environment control them or is their fate destined throughout their genes? The concept of nature versus nurture is a debate on whether a person behavior is based on the environment or do genes influence a person behavior. Nature is the behavior influenced by the gene. Nurture is based on how a person was raised. A person being born good or bad is one example of nature versus nurture. In my opinion, I think a person environment cannot play a part on whether or not a person is good or…

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Nature Vs Nurture Debate

Debate on the Nature Versus Nurture controversy dates back to 1869 when the phrase was first conceived by Francis Galton, a man who had wide-ranging knowledge. Galton began to investigate further on the nature versus nurture debate when his half-cousin, Charles Darwin, publicized On the Origin of Species, where Darwin first began his study on the theory of evolution. Intrigued by Darwin’s theories and ideas, Galton publicized two books exploring inheritance, and evolution of traits. Since Galton…

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Mcleod Nature Vs Nurture

thought nurture is important. In the article “Nature vs Nurture in Psychology” Saul Mcleod reports that the debate of the influence between nature and nurture. Mcleod claims that some nativists believe genetic factors control our physical characteristic and behavior. And empiricists believe that human’s development and behavior influenced by environment. Also she describes that there a controversy between whether “ genius” is from nature or nurture. In brief, the author states that nature and nurture…

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Nature Vs Nurture

personality? Some say that your personality and actions are based on genetics, and others say it is based on how you were raised, media, and other things in society. Nature versus nurture is a very big debate amongst scientists and people in general. Personally, I believe that both of these take part in your personality and behavior. Nature would be your genetics, and nurturing factors would be your family and how you were raised, your friends and the people that you hang out with, and the media such…

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Nature vs. Nurture Essay

Nature vs. Nurture “we all born mad,some remain so”.(Samuel Beckett) want it or not,we come to this world with a pre-determined identety that we have no power over it.A set of parameters, like our parents, form the blueprint of what we are.from this point,we are somehow consciously aware of the influences we are exposed to.I am going to discuss the superiority of nurture over nature, in the process of what we become.The issues involved, are family,values of the society, and the…

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