Mental intelligence, interests, abilities, personality and behaviour tendencies are affected by nature and nurture. Nature vs. nurture is an ongoing debate between genetic inheritances and environmental factors that shape development. Nature, also known as heredity, is the genetic code a person is born with. In motor development, nature refers to the genetic inheritance of characteristics and tendencies that influence development. The maturational perspective of motor development focuses on nature influences. The maturational perspective explains functions of maturational processes, particularly through the central nervous system, which control or dictate motor development (Payne & Isaacs, 2012). Motor development is an internal process driven by a biological or genetic time clock that can be affected by the environment but does not determine one’s biologically determined course (Haywood & Getchell, 2009). Motor development occurs as the brain develops, reflexes appear and intergrade allowing voluntary movement such as sitting, crawling, and reaching or grasping develop, and finally, advanced motor skills such as walking, jumping, throwing and catching occur. (Payne & Isaacs, 2012) This maturation theory has been proposed by many researchers including Arnold Gesell and Myrtle McGraw, who both studied the motor development on identical twins (Haywood & Getchell, 2009). Another researcher, Mary Shirley, studied the sequence of motor milestones relating to the maturational perspective (Haywood, Roberton, & Getchell, 2012). The maturational perspective also relates motor delays directly to damage in the central nervous system (Payne & Isaacs, 2012). These researchers’ studies support nature’s influences on motor development...
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...e maturational perspective explains developmental change through the central nervous system that control or dictate motor development and cannot be controlled by the environment, only affected. Gesell and McGraw’s co-twin study supports the maturational perspective in the sense that environmental factors do not determine ones motor development, only affects it momentarily. Shirley’s study of 28 babies’ motor development suggests our motor development follows a sequential pattern that comes naturally as our central nervous system develops, supporting the maturational perspective as well. An example of motor delay dictating changes in a person’s motor development is apraxia which is caused by damage to the central nervous system, an internal process. The maturational perspective supports the genetic inheritance, nature, as the main influence in motor development.
...s may never agree on a conclusive degree to which both nature and nurture play roles in human development, but over the years, more improved studies have shown that both are crucial aspects. With all the knowledge we are gaining from these studies, it would be quite limiting to believe that a criminal and his actions are the sole result of heredity. Even in people who do not commit crimes, genes themselves are affected by the prenatal environment. Undoubtedly, the fetus experiences changes in environment, forcing possible changes in heredity and reactionary response. We are likely to never find the answer to how much or how little either, nature or nurture, impacts our lives, but at least we can agree that they both do, in fact, have major roles. Our development is not the culmination of heredity alone, but of a tangled web of experiences and genetics entwined.
Nature does not simply determine our physical traits. In Alina Tugend’s article, “For the Best of the Best, Determination Outweighs Nature and Nurture,” Tugend explores the interaction of nature and nurture when it comes to talent. Tugend states that “’genetics influence how quickly and how well a person can master the expertise necessary to perform at world-class levels’” (Tugend 7). Nature influences our abilities or our capacity to do something. If nature can determine how quickly someone can develop a talent, then it does not play such a minimal role in our actions. Zoologist Matt Ridley argues that is nature via nurture in his article “What Makes You Who You Are.” Ridley states that “[genes] are both the cause and the consequence of our actions” (Ridley 5). Our genes and our actions are more connected than we thought. Genes can produce actions and our actions affect which genes are active in our lives. Nature greatly influences our behavior, but it is not all nature.
Esther Thelen’s article “The Improvising Infant: Learning to Move” describes her research into how and why infants use repeated motor sequences. She found these movements are related to the onset of new behaviors. Once an infant has achieved full mastery of the skill, the oscillating movements stopped. Infants do these actions when they are excited or drowsy, and even though the movements are involuntary, the infants can take over the movement for an intentional act, such as demonstrating impatience or getting attention. These movements and what caused them fascinated Thelen, and she began to study them. One particular experiment she ran focused on a disappearing reflex.
The nature vs. nurture debate: the nature side, are those such as biologists, psychologists and others in the natural sciences, argue that behavioral traits can be explained by genetics. Those taking the nurture side are sociologists and others in the social sciences, they argue that human behavior is learned and shaped through social interaction. This argument should be dismissed because you don’t have to look far to see that both genetics and our environment, plays a role in who we are and our behaviors. (Glass). The point is there is a complex relationship between nature and nurture, either one alone is insufficient to explain what makes us human. (Colt). Our heredity gives us a basic potential,...
When discussing human characteristics many statements are made regarding whether or not an individual was born with certain traits, or if they were raised in an environment that instilled the traits in them. This conflict is what is known as the nature and nurture argument, and in the study of behavior this argument is difficult to avoid. However the general consensus is that there is interplay between nature and nurture, that the characteristics and mannerisms that make up an individual are not dependent on one or the other. Generally there are two conclusions are made by research that is done concerning this argument; research that concludes that there is interplay and research
Gross motor development is the review of the child’s capability to move in a consistent man...
In exploring the discussion about developmental psychology, there is a need to review the historical background of the works, which led to what we have today. Most of the work started as philosophical subjects with argument being the interplay between biology and culture. Leading these discussion on these dichotomous view were philosophers such as John Locke attributing development completely to the effect of sensory input. His view suggested that babies are born with a clean tablet where all information needed is input from experience. On the other side, of the discussion was the French philosopher Descartes' who believed that we are born with the specific kind of idea (Keller, 2000). Beside those two there were many other theory on human development one being development follow the same stages as the evolution of species. These theories had birth new ideas and propelled developmental Psychology to new heights and pushed researchers to develop different methods in conducting researches on children
and behavior of the child. In fact, the more we understand about development and behavior, the better. the more obvious it becomes that nature and nurture are similarly influences. rather than determinants, not only singly but also in combination. Here below, I will endeavour to expose the leading theories dealing with the question of nature.
A newborn child’s physical and motor development is an evident progression throughout their first years and later in life. A child’s motor development is more of a slower progress, from going to gross motor skills to more fine motor skills in a few months while physical development is an apparent process. The environment affects children in their physical and motor growth, as they learn and adapt to new stimuli everyday as they develop. Separately, these developments start at different times, but function hand in hand as a child grows. Physical development is apparent at conception, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence; while motor development
Undoubtedly, humans are unique and intricate creatures and their development is a complex process. It is this process that leads people to question, is a child’s development influenced by genetics or their environment? This long debate has been at the forefront of psychology for countless decades now and is better known as “Nature versus Nurture”. The continuous controversy over whether or not children develop their psychological attributes based on genetics (nature) or the way in which they have been raised (nurture) has occupied the minds of psychologists for years. Through thorough reading of experiments, studies, and discussions however, it is easy to be convinced that nurture does play a far more important in the development of a human than nature.
The Nurture side of this debate is all based around the way experiences and environment affect the behaviour and motor development of a growing individual. Nurture can be seen to have effects on a developing person as early as the prenatal stage. An example of the way one’s environment can affect the way this individual develops is; a mother drinking and smoking during pregnancy. This prenatal infant will potentially suffer from birth defects due to the effects of the alcohol and smoking on the infant while it is still in the mother’s womb. This is just one prime example of the way Nurture can alter the development of an individual. Nurture is the more important aspect between Nature vs Nurture when speaking about motor development because Nurture and its environmental experiences will have effects on the way an individual learns to walk, coordination of a child and the personality traits one
Mastering fine motor skills is a very important process needed for physical and cognitive development. It is during early childhood that most children develop these skills, however there are many children that do not. A young child’s fine motor skills are developed through a vast array of activities that aide the child in doing little things such as grasping a toy as an infant, and buttoning buttons as a toddler or tying shoes when they are a preschooler. Fine motor development is the development of the small muscles in the hands and fingers. Many crucial daily activities depend on strong motor skills, such as writing, using eating utensils and getting dressed, among other things. Without fine motor skills a child will have difficulties preforming
Physical and motor development are two similar but different areas that describe child development. Physical development encompasses all of the various changes a child's body goes through. Those changes include height, weight, and brain development. Motor development is the development of control over the body. This control would involve developing reflexes such as blinking, large motor skills like walking, and fine motor skills like manipulating their fingers to pick up small objects like Cheerios. It is important to objectively study physical and motor development in children to gain knowledge on what characteristics are considered typical for each age and stage of development. This will enable me to be aware of when a child or children are developing at an irregular pace, and devise recommendations or find experiences and other resources that can aid in stimulating their development and to work towards closing achievement gaps. This particular assignment was to observe the selected child and reaffirm the importance of studying physical and motor development, and to develop ideas on how to involve it in my work as an early childhood professional.
Child growth and development is a process that consists of some building blocks, which are components that combine in an infinite number of ways (Cherry, n.d.). As a result of the variations of building blocks in a child’s development, educators, psychologists, and philosophers have been constantly engaged in the debate of nature versus nurture debate. Many researchers agree that child development is a complex interaction between his/her genetic background (nature) and his/her environment (nurture). In essence, some developmental aspects are strongly affected by biology whereas other aspects are influenced by environmental factors. From the onset of an individu...
In the study of child development, nature and nurture are two essential concepts that immensely influence future abilities and characteristics of developing children. Nature refers to the genetically obtained characteristics and abilities that influence development while nurture refers to the surrounding environmental conditions that influence development. Without one or the other, a child may not develop some important skills, such as communication and walking. The roles of physiological and psychological needs in a person’s life are also crucial for developing children. Humanistic psychologist, Abraham Maslow, suggested that humans don’t only aim towards survival, but also aim towards self-actualization (Rathus, P. 94).