Human Development: Nature vs. Nurture

1390 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: nature vs nurture debate answered

The nature versus nurture debate is an old issue within the field of psychology.

“The nature-nurture issue is a perennial one that has resurfaced in current psychiatry as a series of debates on the role that genes (DNA) and environments play in the etiology and pathophysiology of mental disorders” (Schaffner)

The debate is essentially about what is inherited (nature) and what is experienced by environmental factors (nurture) and how they affect human development. Naturally, the nature versus nurture debate relates to many controversies such as intelligence, gender identities, violent behaviors, and sexual orientation.

There are countless studies on whether intelligence is an inherited trait or if it is influenced by environmental factors. A study was conducted with adopted children and non-adopted children to see if a conclusion can be made based on the influence of hereditary and environmental intellectual variation (Leahy). The study was conducted with strict standards to make it valid. For example, the adopted children that were studied were young; they also were brought up in similar backgrounds as the control children. Parents’ occupation was also similar, as this would affect the results if the parents had varying occupations (Leahy). The results from this study showed that:

“Variation in IQ is accounted for by variation in home environment to the extent of not more than 4 percent; 96 percent of the variation is accounted for by other factors” (Leahy).

“Measureable environment does not shift the IQ by more than 3 to 5 points above or below the value it would have had under normal environmental conditions… The nature or hereditary component in intelligence causes greater variation than does environment. When nature an...

... middle of paper ...

...lic School Publishing Co

Cherry, Kendra “What Is Nature versus Nurture?” Accessed February 20, 2014.

http://psychology.about.com/od/nindex/g/nature-nurture.htm

Ellis, L. 1987 Psychological Bulletin. Neurohormonal Functioning and Sexual Orientation: A Theory of Homosexuality-Heterosexuality

101(2); 233-258

Gallup, G 1977 Homosexuals in America. Gallup Opinion 147

Hettena, Seth “Study Questions ‘Sex Reassignment’” Accessed February 20, 2014.

http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/HopkinsStudy.html

Leahy, A.

1935 Genetic Psychology Monographs. Nature-Nurture and Intelligence.

17(4); 241-305

Reif, A

2007 Neuropsycopharmacology. Nature and Nurture Predispose to Violent Behavior: Serotonergic Genes and Averse Childhood Environment

32 (11); 2375-2383

Schaffner, K.

2001 Current Opinion in Psychiatry. Nature and Nurture.

14(50); 485-490

Show More
Related

  • Construct Developed in Psychometrics to Determine Cognitive Abilities

    965 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hunt, E., Carlson, J. (2007). Considerations relating to the study of group differences in intelligence.

    Read More

  • Nature vs. Nurture

    1206 Words  | 3 Pages

    The nature vs. nurture controversy is an age old question in the scientific and psychological world with both camps having evidence to support their theories. The controversy lies in which is more influential in the development of human beings. While there is no definitive answer for this, it is interesting to look at each of them separately.

    Read More

  • IQ and the Controversy Concerning Human Intelligence

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    Heritability is a term from the population of genetics. It refers to"the capability of being passed from one generation to the next [1]. Intelligence has for centuries been considered as fixed trait. A number of investigators have taken an approach that intelligence is highly heritable, transmitted through genes [3]. Kinship studies have shown that the habitability of IQ is significantly less than 1.0, and recent attempts to model kinship correlation especially in children have agreed that IQ is influenced both by the child's parent and the environment. Other factors such as parental affection, birth order, gender differences, and experiences outside the family, accidents, and illnesses may account for IQ.

    Read More

  • Examining Intelligence: Definitions, Theories and Testing

    1065 Words  | 3 Pages

    The bioecological model of intelligence, introduced by Stephen Ceci, concentrates on the potential abilities, environmental influence and internal motivation. To perform well in an intelligent test a person must have the necessary abilities, be in a positive environment and be motivated (Comer et al.,

    Read More

  • Comparing the Nomothetic and Idiographic Approaches as They Apply to the Study of Intelligence and Personality

    1973 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ctors, not environment. Nomothetic approach suggests that this is because everyone is generally the same. Yet intelligence is poor when environment is poor - idiographic explain this as it stress social influence, but nomothetic would ignore this factor.

    Read More

  • IQ and Success

    1236 Words  | 3 Pages

    Using data from a long-term survey, The Bell Curve purports to show that IQ is a far better predictor of adult success than childhood socioeconomic status. But the authors used an extremely limited number of social factors as the basis for their calculations. By taking into consideration a greater number of social factors (to make the study resemble a more complete picture of real life), sociologists have been able to show that social factors, not IQ, are a much better predictor of future success.

    Read More

  • Racial Difference in Intelligence

    1972 Words  | 4 Pages

    interpreted as being caused by genetic or environmental differences among groups? A strong promoter of the belief that there is undoubtedly a racial difference in intelligence is Phillippe Rushton. As a professor of psychology, he argues that there is irrefutable scientific evidence of difference...

    Read More

  • Genetic Determinism

    2847 Words  | 6 Pages

    Loehlin, John C., Lindzey Gardner, and J.N. Spuhler. Race Differences in Intelligence. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1975.

    Read More

  • Shared And Nonshared Environment Analysis Essay

    493 Words  | 1 Pages

    The researchers measured IQ by classifying twins into high and low similarity groups based on four different environmental measures: age of separation, reunion in childhood, rearing by a relative, and similarity in social environment. Each twin was placed into two groups for all the measurements. The classification of groups entailed (in order), twins that were separated before and after six months of age, reunion before and after testing, reared by family or non-family member, and

    Read More

  • Genetic and Environmental Factors of Intelligence

    3375 Words  | 7 Pages

    While this assumption is accepted by a majority of geneticists and behavioral scientists, there is great disagreement on the degree of influence each contributes. Arguments for environmental influences are compelling; at the same time there is growing evidence that genetic influence on intelligence is significant and substantial (Eyesenck, 1998; Mackintosh, 1998; Plomin, 1994; Steen, 1996). The purpose of this paper is to explore the question: "How is intelligence influenced by heredity and environment?"

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Intelligence

    1196 Words  | 3 Pages

    Recent information collected showing an increase to our IQs have many asking the question, are we smarting than our ancestors? Unlike our predecessors, we live in a time that poses a greater range of cognitive problems than our ancestors encountered, and as a result we've developed new cognitive skills and the kinds of brains that can deal with these problems. So in a way we are getting smarter throughout history, though it is widely debated if this is due to our environment or genes. Since IQ tests have been standardised many times over the last one hundred years, scientists have participants take a test designed for a previous age and record the results. What (Flynn, 1994) unearthed was that new test takers score much higher than those of the older generation. Flynn and his colleagues guessed that the difference in scores was due to improving modern environments. To them IQ is part heritable and part environmental- provide a child with opportunities to learn and they're likely to have a higher IQ later in

    Read More

  • Human Behavior: Nature vs. Nurture

    1744 Words  | 4 Pages

    Reif , A., Rosler, M., Freitage, C., Schneider, M., Eujen, A., Kissling, C., Wenzler, D., & Jacob, C. (2007). Nature and nurture predispose to violent behavior: Serotonergic genes and adverse childhood environment. Neuropsychopharmacology, 32(11), 2375-2838.

    Read More

  • Intelligence: Nature or Nurture?

    1352 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the ‘nature’ side of the debate is the psychometric approach, considered to be the most dominant in the study of intelligence, which “inspired the most research and attracted the most attention” (Neisser et al. 1996, p. 77). It argues that there is one general (‘g’) factor which accounts for intelligence. In the 1880s, Francis Galton conducted many tests (measuring reaction times to cognitive tasks), (Boundless 2013), in order to scientifically measure intelligence. These tests were linked to the eugenic breeding programme, which aimed to eliminate biologically inferior people from society. Galton believed that as intelligence was inherited, social class or position were significant indicators of intelligence. If an individual was of high social standing, they would be more intelligent than those of a lower position. However he failed to show any consistency across the tests for this hypothesis, weakening his theory that social class correlated with intelligence. Nevertheless, his creation of the intelligence test led many to continue to develop...

    Read More

  • Intelligence: Nature and Nurture

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    Professor Bigot argues that intelligence is only influenced by nature, meaning it is entirely based in genetics, and that one's environment or surroundings can't influence it. However, Dr. Bigot's argument does have some truth to it. With the purpose of investigating the role of genetics in intelligence, researchers have approached twin studies. According to Bouchard and McGue (1981), the closer the biological relationship, the higher the IQ correlation is. This idea was the result of a meta-analysis of 111 studies of IQ correlations between siblings from research studies on intelligence. The Minnesota Twin Study (Bouchard et al. 1990) studies identical twins raised together and identical twins raised apart. Bouchard et al (1990) concluded that 70% of intelligence is associated to genetic inheritance. Therefore, 30% of intelligence may be attributed to other factors. Although the Minnesota Twin Study has been one of the most impressive twin studies carried out, there are several criticisms that test its validity. One of its greatest criticisms was the "equal environment assumption", which states that it can't be assumed that twins reared together are exposed to the same environment.

    Read More

  • Influence Of Nature And Nurture On Child Development

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Nature refers to the genes we receive from our parents that influence our development” and “nurture refers to the wide range of environments, both physical and social, that influence our development.”

    Read More

More about Human Development: Nature vs. Nurture

Open Document