Nature vs Nurture: Influences on Human Development

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Nature vs. Nurture 2 Nature vs. Nurture: Nature vs. Nurture centers on the contributions of inheritance of genetics and environmental factors in human development. The question is whether development is primarily influenced by nature or nurture? Nature refers to an organism biological inheritance. Nurture is referred by environmental experiences. Nurture has been expanded to include the influences on development that come from parental, prenatal, distance families and peer experiences. The nature proponents claim biological inheritance is the most important influence on development. The nature proponents …show more content…

As early as 350 BC philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle tried to understand human behavior. The question of nature or nurture as the primary drive can be traced back to these times. Plato's belief was that behavior and knowledge was due to innate factors. Author Fiona Cowie states" The claim that the character of our mental furniture is to a large extent internally rather environmentally determined found its first substantive defense in the works of Plato" (Cowie, 1999 pg. 3). Plato based on that theory then Descartes agreed. Descartes agreed that all knowledge is present at birth. Plato believed that the environment played a huge part in the human processes. He thought it had a unique role. Plato believed the environment did not teach people anything new. The purpose was to remind people of the information they already knew. Although, Plato's views are not supported today. He did lay groundwork that other researchers can follow. Philosopher, Aristotle's theory was a different idea about human behavior. His theory stated the idea that humans are born into the world with a "blank state". People's behavior and their thoughts are due to experience. Nature vs. Nurture 4 …show more content…

It is important that the research is related to psychological development including environmental elements in order to provide at the representation of the factors that influence behavior and personality. The nature vs. Nurture debate has produced many research aduances in area of human development. Evidence proves that there is an interaction between the genes and the environment. People will continue over the years to study the aspects of each in development. In the future studies, groundbreaking advances will be made to aid in humans for better understanding of human behavior. In the end, the debate of both sides of nature vs. Nurture debate intended to

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