Module 09 : The
Nature/Nurture Debate
Student Objectives:
To learn about the history of the debate between nature
and nurture
To learn about some of the science supporting the nature
side
To learn about some of the science supporting the
nurture side
To understand that there are discrepancies in both
arguments
To learn about the possibility of nature and nurture
interacting with each other
9.1 Introduction
How do people become who they are?
This is one of the essential questions in child development.
It is also one of the most difficult to answer.
There are two primary answers presented in an attempt to
answer these questions. The first is nature or genetics. The
traits that determine how a child develops are hardwired into
them through their DNA. The second is nurture, which says that
the way and rate at which a child develops is dependent on the
kind of environment they were raised in, such as what their
parents were like, what their school was like, and what their
culture says they should be.
This module will provide a brief overview of the debate
between nature and nurture, and then provide the case for each
side. Keeping mind that this debate is not yet solved, and
there is no right answer to the questions posed here.
9.2 The Debate: An Overview
The debate over nature vs nurture is one of
the longest standing debates in child
development, as well as in the whole of
psychology.
It is based on one underlying question: are genetic factors
more critical in the development of children, or is it their
environment?
The debate between nature and nurture as it is known today has
evolved through the years, mainly as cultures have evolved.
In the 1960s, psychologists and western culture, in general,
were influenced by behaviorist theories. Because of this, many
people leaned more heavily towards the case for nurture and
thought that personalities are formed through training and
experience. Several researchers performed studies to try to
prove this point.
For example, psychologist John Money authorized a sex change
on a young boy after a botched circumcision and tried to raise
the boy to fill the gender roles of a girl. The goal was to
prove that even though the child had male chromosomes, he
could be raised to take on female traits through conditioning
and training. The experiment was a failure, but it
demonstrates the approach to science that psychologists had at
the time.
The biological argument is an old one and can be dated back to
Charles Darwin and his contemporaries. However, as biology and
DNA science has leaped forward in recent years, the nature
side has gained ground at a rapid pace. New research is
published regularly, and many papers claim to have discovered
a gene that is the cause of a particular behavior or
personality trait.
At the current moment, the debate is at a kind of truce. While
some still fall on one hand side of the debate, many
scientists today assume that the pair are inseparable.
9.3 The Case for Nature
When psychologists and theorists refer to
nature, they are referring to the genetic
information that is passed down to a child
by their biological parents through DNA.
It has been firmly established that characteristics,
particularly physical ones like eye color, hair type, and
specific diseases, are all passed on through the genetic
material inherited by children from their parents.
In other words, the physical characteristics passed down to
children are the reason that many children often take on the
appearance of their parents or other relatives.
The question, then, is whether other developmental
characteristics can also be passed on through genetics. Can
behaviors, personalities, and cognitive abilities be passed on
through genetics? For instance, is it possible that Albert
Einstein’s children could have inherited his genius, or his
proficiencies in math, science, and logic, through their
genes? Would their brains be better prepared to quickly
compute mathematical equations because they share their
father’s DNA?
Studies on Twins and Adopted Children
Some scientists say that it is possible. Studies of separated
twins and adopted children have demonstrated that even when
children are raised apart from their biological relatives,
they still have a tendency to take on their behaviors and
personality traits. Things like hobbies, fears, alcoholism,
criminality, smoking, and divorce have all been marked by
genetics. Furthermore, studies have shown that even traits
that seem like they would be governed solely by nurture, like
religious adherence or political orientation, are under
genetic control.
However, the issue is not fully resolved. For example, genes
have been proven to play an essential role in mental health,
and the development of conditions like bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder. Those who have a
family history of bipolar disorder are four to six times as
likely to develop the disease compared to those without a
history.
The development of these diseases does not rely solely on DNA.
One study on twins found that if one twin develops a mental
illness, the other twin is only 50 percent as likely to
develop that condition. While that is a high likelihood, and
it demonstrates the role of genetics, it also shows that
genetics are not the only factor in the development of mental
illness.
Similar studies have been done on addiction. Alcohol addiction
recurs in families, and some genes may increase the likelihood
of developing alcoholism over a lifetime. While these genes
may affect the way the body interacts with alcohol, not all
children of alcoholics become alcoholics themselves.
Although science has advanced to a point where it can identify
the genes that may influence child development, there are
still external factors that cannot be explained by DNA alone.
The discrepancies in these cases leave room for other
explanations, including environmental issues, or nurture.
9.4 The Case for Nurture
While genetics play a role in a child’s physical
characteristics, there is a strong argument that
much of their personality depends on the
environment in which the child lives and grows
up in.
One of the most recent and compelling case studies on the side
of nurture and environment is the case of Dr. James Fallon, a
neuroscientist from Southern California.
Fallon, who teaches at the University of California at Irvine,
was performing a clinical study on schizophrenia and
psychopathy in 2006 when he inadvertently discovered that he
had the brain of a psychopath.
Not having realized that his personality appeared that way,
the discovery led him to ask his family and friends how they
felt about his behaviors. All of them identified psychopathic
behavior in him. Many of them recalled times where Fallon had
manipulated them or worked a specific situation in his favor.
While they did not consider him dangerous, some friends
recollected instances where he had made up stories to get them
to participate in an event.
Fallon was upset by this revelation, and even he began to
recognize his behaviors. To try to improve the lives of those
whom he interacted with, he decided to take the time to stop
and ask himself what a reasonable person would do in the
situations he encountered.
He also began to wonder how someone with the genes of a full-
blown psychopath could be professionally and personally
successful. They concluded that despite all the genetic
markers of psychopathy, his parents loved and cared for him
deeply during the first years of life, which offset the
psychopathy, and allowed him to not only succeed in life but
to have the frame of mind to try to improve himself, even if
he did blame this on narcissism.
Essentially, nurture can work to override genetic traits that
may typically be destructive. Those who argue that environment
is the critical factor in development would argue that if
Fallon had been raised by parents who neglected or abused him,
he would have likely turned out very differently, perhaps even
like the murders whose brains Fallon scanned as a part of his
study on psychopathy.
FACT
Modern day psychologists are focusing less on nature versus
nurture debate and more on how genes modulate environmental
influences and how the environment can help manage a child’s
genes, believing that personality, development, and
intelligence are all important traits that must be further
studied over time.
Source: CPD
9.5 Finding a Balance
Reading the arguments for nature and
nurture, it is clear to see where the holes
in each argument lie, and why it is such a
long-standing debate.
It is impossible to say that everyone with a psychopathic
brain will become a horrible person because there are cases
like Dr. Fallon’s. It is impossible to deny that psychopathy
just happened to him one day. His brain demonstrates a
specific genetic makeup that can be matched with the brains of
people who happen to have similar personality traits as Fallon
does (reckless, manipulative, selfish, etc.).
Similarly, essential concepts like intelligence are too
diverse and multifaceted to explain away as being solely due
to genetics, or due to the environment.
Referring back to the example given earlier in this module,
one could say that it is possible that Albert Einstein’s
children could have received genetic traits that predisposed
them to be able to calculate complex mathematical equations
easily. However, it is likely that these traits would only
surface if their parents, educators, and local environment
encouraged them to learn and practice math in addition to
providing a stable, loving environment in which they felt
cared for.
This is why many of today’s scientists and psychologists are
no longer choosing sides in this debate. Instead, researchers
are curious about how genes can modulate the environmental
influences, and how the environment you live in can manage
your genes. Personality, development, and intelligence are all
important traits, and understanding them requires patience and
care.
Take a Quick Recap Test
Assignment
The Nature/Nurture Debate
Time: 30+ minutes
Now it is time to put what you have learned in Module 9 to the
test. Work your way through this worksheet and do your best to
fully participate in every activity set.
Download the worksheet below, print out and complete.
Download Worksheet (pdf)
Conclusion
The debate regarding nature and nurture is a long-standing
one, and it is not likely to be solved anytime soon. What the
debate can teach you, though, is that child development is a
complex thing, and it is important to consider all of the
available evidence before moving forward.
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