Nature vs Nurture Life is like a game

Nature vs. Nurture

“Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will. ” Nehru

Consider Dolly…. Would a human clone’s adult personality mimic the person donating the genetic code? -or. Would he/she be unique?

4 What is "Nature vs. Nurture" Nature versus nurture" is a psychology term related to whether heredity or the environment most impacts human psychological development (behavior, habits, intelligence, personality, sexuality, aggressive tendencies, and so on).

5 Nature In the "nature vs nurture" debate, nature refers to an individual's innate qualities (nativism). Example: Nature is your genes. The physical and Personality traits determined by your genes stay the same irrespective of where you were born and raised. Factors: Biological and Family

Nature When biology determines behavior… Explains why people who are related to each other- resemble each other

Recessive vs. dominant genes Recessive genes= two recessive genes must be paired to produce characteristic Dominant genes= need no pairing. produce characteristic every time

How alike are we? 98. 4% like Chimpanzees

The importance of twin studies… Identical twins reared apart (separated at birth)studied to see the effect of environment. Adopted fraternal twins studied to see the effect of inheritance.

What does research suggest? Identical Twins Separated Adopted Twins Values Interests Attitude Motor skills Manners Reading, spelling, writing Intelligence Faith Medical issues Politics Personality Work ethic

nurture Is your brain hard-wired and unchangeableor does the environment actually produces changes in the brain? It depends….

13 Nurture In the "nature vs nurture" debate, nurture refers to personal experiences (i. e. empiricism or behaviorism). Example: Nurture refers to your childhood, or how you were brought up. Someone could be born with genes to give them a normal height, but be malnourished in childhood, resulting in stunted growth and a failure to develop as expected. Factors : Environmental and Social

Environment is complex Culture= similarities/diversity Circumstances Economics Opportunities Skills learned

Critical periods Time when we are especially sensitive to learning Begins and ends abruptly Beyond this period, growth will not occur

Where does our personality come from? Nature: It’s genetic You were “born that way” It is inherited from one or both parents Nurture: It’s environmental You’ve acquired it because of life experiences and circumstances