Nature vs Nurture
Nature versus nurture, this statement causes quite a controversy, whether inherited genes or the environment influences and effects development of personality (our behavior, intelligence, and ability). Social scientists have struggled with this issue for centuries, whether our development is born (nature) or made (nurture). Some believe that it is strictly our genes; others believe it is the environment, and still others believe it is based on both, our genes and the environment. Either way, the debate continues on and will for centuries to come. There is still no clear conclusion to this debate and probably never will.
The nature side of this debate argues that a person development is based on what they are born with genetically. It is apparent that genes provide humans with their own physical equipment, our beginnings. Genes and chromosomes are passed on from each generation to the next, so with out heredity, humans would have nothing to hand down biologically to their descendants. This idea of genetics being purposeless is an inaccurate statement.
On the other side of the debate, many studies have shown that a person’s environment plays a large role in their development. This is a less noticeable, influential factor on one’s life. The amount of nourishment a person receives has been proven to play a large part in development. A person’s environment also plays a role in early development; research has always shown that we flourish from early on with nurturing.
We all can remember the science experiment from grade school where we plant two seeds and grow them under different conditions. This is to show us nothing more than nature and nurture interacting.
The human nature – nurture debate is fueled by the fact that families’ basic nurturing capacity varies enormously by race and class. Also important to the nature versus nurture debate are the studies that have been done, most importantly the studies that have been done on twins. Mainly the studies on identical twins raised a part, have provided scientists with an opportunity to examine this relationship. Research has shown that identical twins will have personality traits in common, in later years, demonstrating the impact of nature. But on the other hand the environment in which they were raised shows an even more profound impact on their personality development, showing the strong impact of nurture. Identical twins factor out a unique opportunity to study affects of nature versus nurture. Identical twins factor out the nature (biological) component, since they share the same genetic make up. It is difficult to factor out the nurture side of identical twins in the same house but for identical twins raised a part, it provides evidence of the affects of nurture. This study was based on twins separated by divorce. Years later they were found to have some quirky habits in common, other than those habits, their personalities were different. For scientists the wide difference in personalities between the two seems to provide evidence of the impact of the environment on development.
The study of what happens to plants happens to children. Also. This was done using IQ scores as the replacement for nature and socioeconomic status as the substitute for nurture. The scientists then looked at the influence of genes on intelligence among the very poor. Using a database made up of pairs of twins, whom were given IQ tests and looking at differences between the identical and fraternal twins. It was concluded that the importance of the environment influenced IQs four times stronger in the poorer families than in affluent family. Hereditability of the IQ was seven times stronger in the wealthy families than in the poorer ones. This is just one study influencing nurturing. First, positive nurturing has the power to counter “bad” genes but also at a biological level to change the way particular genes operate so that what would otherwise be genetic vulnerability are transformed in to strengths. Second, we need to recognize that our interventions are often too little, too late, and too selective to address the cumulative nurturing imbalance.
There are many other studies on this debate. Studies on babies, for example the experiment on operant conditioning using an eleven-month-old baby, Albert, who was put in a room by himself with a white rat. Albert seemed to like the rat and would show affection to it. Whenever Albert would try to grab the rat, a loud, displeasing noise would sound. In the end, Albert was terrified of all white and furry objects.
Studies on children; example being, the study on whether children born first are more intelligent than their later-born siblings. This study concluded there was no relationship between a persons’ intelligence and his time (placement) of birth. This seemed to confirm that heredity and environment are both influential. Our parents are our first teachers. The nurturing we receive from them is essential to normal cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Parents also attempt to install conformity and obedience, as well as teach us basic skills necessary for survival. A family’s race, religion, and social class also will influence the development of the child’s self-concept. Another study on children, who were institutionalized, showed that those children who received nurturing care versus those who did not, demonstrated higher intelligence and were less dependent on the institutionalized care. With out the nurturing, the human child is less likely to survive, much less survive.
Adoption studies have also shown that a person’s environment plays an important role in development. A study done with adoptive children raised in the same house had very similar IQs. This doesn’t seem to be considerable evidence, but these children had no biological genes. They were raised a like but were not genetically related, does help to influence the environment factor of nurturing.
Numerous studies have been conducted on twins, also, both identical and fraternal, raised together and apart, to compare the nature versus nurture debate. In general the twin studies have been conducted to determine the comparative influence of hereditability and environment. The findings are said to be more nature than nurture.
In the end, most studies concluded that 50% was determined by genetics (nature) and the other 50% determined by the environment (nurture).
My own study on twins involved Lee and Linda, two identical twins raised together, and to this day most cannot tell them apart and they still sometimes dress the same. I spoke with them for a couple of hours and asked numerous questions.
Some questions I asked were as follows:
1. Do the two of you ever desire to be the other? They both answered no, they both said they are almost the other because they are so a like in so many ways. The only difference is one experienced childbirth and the other had not, but she did raise her husbands’ children.
2. Do the two of you ever seek competition with each other? Yes, they do like to compete against each other, such as games, which most people do what to exercise some competitiveness in their life.
3. Did you attend different classes in school? It is said that a lot of schools do not let twins be in the same classroom together. They both said they went to the same classes and thought that the reason they weren’t separated was because it was a small school.
4. Your worst experience? Both stated losing their father was the worst.
5. Your best experience? Lee stated giving birth, Linda stated watching her nieces graduate college.
6. What kind of grades did the two of you earn in school? They said their grades were very similar. Not always the same but very close.
7. Do you ever feel a need to differentiate between the two of you? They both stated they are the closest of friends and did not feel any need to differentiate between them. Lee did state if they did feel this they would not probably still dress a like.
8. Do people confuse the two of you and how does that feel? Lee says it happens so much that they are very use to it. Linda states that sometimes even their brothers get them mixed up if they don’t hear their voices. Our voices give us away. We even have a baby picture of one of us and mom doesn’t even know which one of us it is.
I cannot draw a conclusion from my study because I needed more participants to be valid. My personal feelings are that nature and nurture are very much connected in our development.
Are we born with a clear slate or are we wired with all the knowledge we need? There is a fine line between what is inherited and what is based on experience. The deeper we look into nature versus nurture the more the division simply becomes arbitrary and irrelevant. Nature (genetics) and nurture (environment) are at two ends of exactly the same gamut. Some behaviors in one can be genetically specific while in another can be completely cognitive. Genes are efficient; learning is much more flexible. The balance comes as a combination of chance and the cost/benefit analysis that evolution has worked out for them. It would be a product of ignorance to believe that one primary factor, either genetics or the environment, determines a person’s development. It is rather obvious that both nature and nurture play an important role, but this role they play may not be exactly equal in influence.
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