Essay about Child Development, Nature vs Nurture - 801 Words

. The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in psychology. The debate centers on the relative contributions ofgenetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development. Some philosophers such as Plato and Descartes suggested that certain things are inborn, or that they simply occur naturally regardless of environmental influences. Other well-known thinkers such as John Locke believed in what is known as tabula rasa, which suggests that the mind begins as a blank slate. According to this notion, everything that we are and all of our knowledge is determined by our experience. For example, when a person achieves tremendous academic success, did they do so because they are genetically predisposed to be†¦show more content†¦Babies begin to take in sensory experiences from the world around them from the moment of birth, and the environment will continue to exert a powerful influence on behavior throughout life. Geneticscan have a powerful influence on development, but experiences are equally important. For example, while the genetic code contains the information on how a childs brain may be pre-wired, it is learning and experience that will literally shape how that childs brain grows and develops. Final ThoughtsClearly, genetics have an enormous influence on how a child develops. However, it is important to remember that genetics are just one piece of the intricate puzzle that makes up a childs life. Environmental variables, including parenting, culture, education and social relationships also play a vital role. Nature versus Nurture is a popular debate about whether our genetics, or environmental influences mold more of who we are. An example is whether you get your out-going personality because of your DNA, or because you grew up in an environment that made you out-going. Nature is your genes, Nurture is environmental influences.Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_argument_of_nature_vs_nurture#ixzz29QTunXP3 The nature vs nurture debate is one of the most enduring in the field of psychology.How far are human behaviors, ideas, and feelings, INNATE and how far are they all LEARNED?These issues are at theShow MoreRelatedNature Vs. Nurture Debate878 Words   |  4 Pages When one thinks about child development, are personalities and traits produced by genetics or shaped by the environment? Or, is there a relationship between nature and nurture with regards to child development? The debate continues. While some believe â€Å"nature and nurture work together, others believe they are separate and opposing influences† (McDevitt, 2010). Nature vs Nurture In regards to the nature vs. nurture debate, â€Å"this debate is a major issue in many social science disciplines and isRead More Nature vs Nurture: Genes vs Environment Essay1490 Words   |  6 Pagesand philosopher thinkers on the spectrum of ‘nature vs. nurture’ arose concerning human development. In the nature versus nurture debate, the term nature refers to the genes we inherit while the term nurture refers to our outside environment (Nature vs. Nurture: Twin and Adoption Studies). This debate of ‘nature vs. nurture’ has existed for centuries and up to now it is still a topic of major discussion although at present time. Human development is the scientific study of age-related changesRead MoreNature vs Nurture Essay804 Words   |  3 PagesThe controversy of nature vs. nurture has been disputed for years. Nature vs. nurture refers to the question of which factors are most significant in determining development; those related to heredity or environm ent. It has been reported that some scientists think that â€Å"nature† is referred as the importance in heredity as the major determinate also known as â€Å"nature† the theory of human behavior. The nurture theory scientists believe that people think and behave in certain ways because they areRead MoreNature vs Nurture: Do Genes Or Environment Matter More? Essay1300 Words   |  6 PagesNature versus nurture has emerged as one of the most heated debates in the 21st century. It is more aligned towards the internal and external factors that comprise human beings behavior. The internal factors are innate and perceived to be genetically revolved as opposed to the external factors that are influenced by the environment and individuals’ experiences. However, scholars in different fields have researched on the relationship between nature and nurture without due success and this has createdRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : Addiction1102 Words   |  5 Pages Nature vs. Nurture: Addiction Introduction Psychology is a developing science which studies the mental functions, processes, and behaviors of an individual. In the science of psychology, many debates arise; nature vs. nurture is one of the most popular ones. These psychological debates are followed by research, backing up either nature or nurture or both. Nature suggest heredity impacts human psychological development; nurture suggests the environment impacts our psychologicalRead MoreNature Vs Nurture Essay882 Words   |  4 PagesNature vs Nurture The discussion about nature and nurture can be considered one of the oldest problems in psychology, the main question of which is: Are human traits present at birth or are they developing through experience? (Meyers, 2013). The natural side of the discussion asserts that the facial features and the way of their development strictly through DNA and genetics are transmitted by parents and grandparents. The nurture side of the debate argues that we are born with a clean list andRead MoreDevelopmental Psychology1194 Words   |  5 PagesReiss, D., Shaw, D. S., Natsuaki, M. N., . . . Leve, L. D. (2014). Adoptive parent hostility and children’s peer behavior problems: Examining the role of genetically informed child attributes on adoptive parent behavior. Developmental Psychology, 50(5), 1543-1552. This source goes against the belief that nature and nurture even paly that much of a significant role in the way children grow up to portray themselves. Elam and Shaw say that it’s all about personal choices. They feel that through theirRead MoreChild Development: Heredity and Environment1240 Words   |  5 Pagesbetween nature versus nurture or even environment versus heredity leads to the question of: does the direct environment or the nature surrounding an adolescent directly influence acts of delinquency, later progressing further into more radical crimes such as murder or psychotic manifestation, or is it directly linked to the hereditary traits and genes passed down from that individual adolescent’s biological parents? To answer this question one must first understand the difference between nature, nurtureRead MoreNature vs Nurture, a Not Quite a Twin1684 Words   |  7 PagesNature vs Nurture A Not Quite Twin Study Tamara Richardson Seminole State College of Florida Abstract This paper is going to discuss the Nature vs Nurture debate. There will be history of the debate, where it is presently and where it may go in the future. We will look at the beginning of the debate, the battle that started with Descartes and was pushed further by BF Skinner, Bandura and Piaget. We will further look at Bandura and Piaget and look at Social learning theory verses biology. InterviewsRead MoreNature vs. Nurture818 Words   |  3 PagesNature Versus Nurture Introduction: There are few mysteries that are greater or provoke more debate than that which dictates human individuality. Sociologists, psychologists and genealogists have long argued over the roles played by the inherent genetic and biological features of an individual and the environmental, contextual and experiential realities surrounding the individual where the development of personality, ability and orientation are concerned. This underscores the debate between nature