Nature vs. Nurture Essay

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Researchers have been in dispute for many centuries about whether nature or nurture has a stronger influence on early human development. Nature is inherent traits from birth and Nurture is one's environment (physical, cultural, social, and familial) plays in one's physical and psychological identity. This essay will examine the degree to which nurture or nature influence early human development. Nurture strongly influences early human development, for many reasons. According to Locke (17th.Century), the mind of a new born infant is a “blank slate”. As the baby experiences and interacts with his world through his or her senses the knowledge become built and is written down on the slate. Examples: seeing, hearing, feeling, touching, tasting and smelling. John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner argued that human nature could be flexible and changeable through early training; a child could be turned into an adult regardless of his or her heredity. Examples: Doctor, Lawyer and Artist. In addition, Zelazo, Zelazo and Kolb (1972), through recent studies found out that practice or extra ...

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