Argumentative Essay On Nature Vs Nurture

Argumentative Essay On Nature Vs Nurture
Nature vs. Nurture is one of the oldest and most debated subjects in psychology and life. The controversy deals with whether our human traits develop
through experience or if they are present at birth. Nature states that our human traits are genetic and include biological factors that we have had since
birth. Nurture states that our human traits develop through our environment, which can include anything from how our parents raised us to the
geographical location we live in. Recent studies in twins have shown that nature may be a bigger component in this debate. A Minnesota study of
twins from 1979 to 1999 observed 137 pairs of twins, both identical and fraternal (Lewis, 2014). They found that identical twins who were raised apart
felt a stronger connection to their sibling than their best friends, which could mean a...show more content...
It showed the nurture perspective and discussed how all children need a stable and caring environment or else it would cause a lack of brain
development in caring behaviors and cognitive capacities (Perry, B. D., 2002). Nurture has also been associated with children's behaviors and
personalities because of the environment they grew up in. For example, if a child lived in a more caring home, they are more likely to be a joyful
person than someone who grew up in an abusive setting. Although this is a common debate, most people agree that nature and nurture end up working
together. In the words of author David G. Meyers, "Nurture works on what nature endows". In cases like intelligence, it could be argued that it is
hereditary because it is passed down to children and environmental because parents are teaching their kids and their influence is a large factor. Instead
of debating on which subject works more in humans, both of these terms should be used to figure out environmental and genetic behaviors that are
present in
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Essay on Nurture versus Nature
Nurture versus Nature
The human brain is a portion of the central nervous system and serves as the control center for movement, sleep, hunger, and virtually everything else
vital and necessary to survive. Not only that, but the brain also controls all human emotions from fear and love, to elation and sorrow. It also receives
and interprets countless signals from other parts of the body and the outside environment. Summarily, the brain makes us conscious, emotional, and
intelligent. It's no wonder that with everything going on in the brain, so much emphasis is placed on its development. We now know, from scientific
research, that the brain grows at a rapid rate within the first years of an infant's life. With this information in mind,...show more content...
The structure of the brain is delicate, especially during the maturation years of development. If the brain is traumatized in any such way within the first
years of childhood, those traumatic events will shape the brain as it would have they been jovial ones. These events change the structure of the brain in
numerous ways. Though these changes are internal, they have a tremendous outcome on behavior as well. "Trauma elevates stress hormones, such as
cortisol, that wash over the tender brain like acid, as a result, regions in the cortex and in the limbic system are 20 to 30 percent smaller in abused
children than in normal kids." (Begley, p.20) This 20 to 30 percent difference generates enough anxiety to induce spouts of stress hormones at the
slightest thought or reminiscence of a previous traumatic situation. This kind of reaction often causes problems with attention, concentration, and
impulsive behavior. The ability to learn can also be altered via early childhood trauma. It is from this trauma that neurotransmitters, "that play a key
role in telling growing neurons where to go and what to connect to" (Begley, p.32), are matted and cause insufficiency in learning capabilities.
"Only in rare cases of extreme isolation is it possible to observe concretely separated two factors in the development of human personality which are
always otherwise only analytically separated, the biogenic and the

Nature Vs Nurture
In the world of psychology, nature and nurture have great meanings as to how it affects an individual. It is argued on which one affects someone's
personality, behavior traits, and thought process the most. Nature is somebody's genes, physical traits, and biology and nurture is how someone
was raised and how they live including their family, their culture, and the environment in which they are surrounded with. I agree that both nature
and nurture have a great impact on many things in a person's life. I know that in my own personal life I have been impacted by both in particular
ways. I do know that genes play a part in my personality and thought process in small ways however, I believe that I am more affected by
environmental factors. My reason for that conclusion is because, if I were to examine both my father and mother's personality, behavior, and
thought process, I would find that my own traits are different in vast ways. It might be argued that I am a good mixture of both but, I just do not see
this to be true. I move, think, and act at my own pace and in my own ways that are very different from either my mother or my father. If I were to
even go back one more generation, I would still see the many differences between my mother and her parents or my father and his parents....show more
content...
For example, in some cultures, children are expected to start working and doing tasks at a younger age than in other cultures and it influences their
thought process and behavior as well as their personality and ambitions. In my own personal life I have grown up in a culture where technology is
very involved in everyday life. I first had access to the internet from age twelve and have had access ever since. I have become almost dependant on
using it for everyday things. The world that I am growing up in is a technological one and it is greatly different from the world ten, twenty, or even
thirty years

Nature Vs Nurture Essay
Zachary Hobbs Sheen Cowper Psychology 200 20 October 2017 Nature vs Nurture In today's society, it has become common to question what exactly
makes us human. There are many questions to ask that pertains to the idealism of mankind, but the most important would be, "what shapes us into who
we are?" The debate of whether nature or nurture molds the character of our being has been an exhilarating question throughout the history of time.
Though this matter is only answered through individual perception, with nature being genetics and nurture serving as the environment in which an
individual is raised from birth to adolescence. For centuries the argument between nature and nurture has brewed, yet it can be inferred that nurture has
more of an...show more content...
Just as morality, beliefs are molded by the environment that a given individual is raised. In a study performed, children who were primed with a
picture of santa claus, the more likely they were to share candy. While this is the case in America, a child who lives in India would have no clue
who santa claus is or anything about the Christmas holiday. Fears are important to acknowledge as well. A study in 1960 tested the depth perception
of children between the ages of six months to a year and two months, in an attempt to see how the children would react to heights and loud noises. In
the study, children were placed on a platform with plexiglass set at the end, which could be walked on, though wasn't due to the fear of falling off of
the platform, while also showing evidence of what neuroscientist Seth Norrholm of Emory University states as an individual 's, "...acoustic startle
reflex." (kunang) "You're going to duck your head due to loud noises being startling," (kunang) says Norrholm. The learning of fears can also be
evident from the Little Albert experiment, in which a baby by the name of Albert was introduced to animals, accompanied by a loud noise that made
him cry. After countless times of repeating this process, little Albert began to not only fear animals, yet anything that had any close relation to fur. The
two fears of falling and loud noises are the only natural, instinctive fears in the human

Essay on Human Development: Nature vs. Nurture
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...show more content...
Based on these conclusions made by the study, it is acceptable to infer that there is a greater difference in intelligence that can be attributed to
hereditary factors. The results also show what a drastic change that hereditary factors can impose on intelligence; I found this quite interesting as I
previously thought that environmental factors would influence studying patterns and etc. Though the study was conducted in a professional manner,
the theory of possessing more intelligence based on hereditary conditions would need to be researched more. There are ongoing studies on the
nature–nurture and intelligence question.
Another study on intelligence has shown:
"A definite tendency for children in homes of higher socio–economic status, especially those with more highly educated parents, to make above
average scores after two years of age, whereas children whose parents have less education make lower scores" (Bayley).
Based on this and the aforementioned study, we can see where controversy can occur. Both studies claim to have taken into account environmental
factors, but the second study concludes that environmental factors do play a role in the development of intelligence of children. The two differing
viewpoints are what cause the debate. According to Kendra Cherry, "The majority of experts believe that behavior and development are influenced by
both nature and nurture..." If this were proven to be true, both

Essay on Nature vs Nurture Debate
Nature vs Nurture Debate
Nature versus Nurture is the issue of the degree to which environment and heredity influence behavior and development. In this issue nature can be
defined as, behaviors due to heredity. Which means behaviors are based on the genetic makeup of an individual and is an influence of the individuals'
growth and development throughout life. On the other hand nurture are causes of behaviors that are environmental. Which means the influence is
from, parents, siblings, family, friends and all other experiences to which the individual is exposed to.
Throughout my childhood, I didn't grow up free of environmental influences nor did I develop without being affected by my inherited genetic makeup.
I think...show more content...
In reading stories about identical twins my point of view is easily understood. Various types of psychologist have analyzed the study of identical twins.
It shows that individuals with the same genetic make–up can be totally different, when it comes to personality. Nurture promotes the twins to grow up
as separate individuals. Its a lot better if a twin has his or her own personality rather than the same exact personality of the other half. I think this great
debate weighs heavier on the nurture side. As a child my parents, and sibling overshadowed my genetic make–up. No matter how much I thought my
physical traits made me behave. It did not affect me more than the things that I had seen and been exposed to. The more things that I had seen around
and experienced made me the person that I am today. If my genetic make–up was totally different, to a certain extent, I am sure that I?d behave the
same way that I do presently. There are exceptions to that. For instance if I were six foot five and one hundred and ninety pounds, I?d most likely
be in the NBA and be really rich. I think if I was really rich and in the NBA I wouldn?t have the same worries that I have today. Even if before I were
in the NBA I would have lots of attention and have a lot more confidence. So to an extent I would change a little if my genetic make–up were different.
In a sense, genetic make–up is just a competitor to the environmental factors

Differences Between Nature Vs Nurture Essay
Throughout this paper, we will be comparing similarities and differences between our seven members based on the Big Five Inventory test results
to our Zodiac sign attributes. Each member of Psychology 101 Group 14 was required to take the OCEAN Big Personality Quiz, and then
compare the results to the other members of the team. Then after looking at the results individual members compared their scores to their Zodiac
signs to see if they could identify similarities. To begin, while looking at our comparatives scores of the OCEAN Big 5 Personality quizzes, we
found that a few group members were similar, although there was many differences in the group too. For example, Gabe and Damon were similar
in Openness, with a score of 41 and 35 respectively. On the other hand, Socoro and Vivianna were outliers in the group, with Vivianna having a
score of 5, and Socoro with a score of 59. We believe while the scores are closely related, our reasons for being close together in Openness value
more shows the debate between nature vs nurture. Gabe's belief on being in the 35th percentile is how he was raised throughout his family
environment similar to Kaitlyn in the 41st percentile, while Damon's belief for being in the 41st percentile was more so being born into the statistic
rather than recalling any events that contributed to his score. Rachael scored in the 16th percentile, which indicates a preference of a more regular
schedule. She believes that this is because of how she

Nature vs Nurture Essay
Nature or Nurture?
The Determination of Human Behaviour
The nature versus nurture debate has spanned over decades, and is becoming more heated in the recent years. Following the mapping of the human
genome, scientists are pursuing the possibility of controlling human behaviour such as homicidal tendencies or insanity through the manipulation of
genes. Is this possible for us to ensure that humans behave in certain ways under certain circumstances in future?
This is highly doubtful, as the determination of human behaviour depends not only on genes (nature), but also on the environment (nurture). It is usually
the "joint product of genes and environment", one of the first principles in Leda Cosmides and John Tooby in "Evolutionary...show more content...
Behaviour genetics include twin studies, family studies and adoption studies. Adoption studies focused on how people with different genetic make–up,
brought up in a similar environment may or may not share similar behavioural patterns and family studies on people with the same genetic make–up.
The results are not conclusive, although it is found that the possibility of people who are genetically similar, sharing similar behavioural traits is higher.
Twin studies remain our interest. Identical twins have 100% identical genes and the same shared–environment (same home, same parents, same
siblings, etc) , and thus any differences between them will be the non–shared environment (individual friends, own perceptions).
Fraternal twins share about 50% of their genes and the same shared–environment. Studies made by comparing behavioural traits in these twins are once
again not conclusive: about 40% of the variance in these traits are genetic, 35% non–shared environment and 5% shared environment.
("The Nature/Nurture Controversy, Frank Fujita. Attached)
The chances of similar genes creating similar behaviour is never 100 percent. The one thing that can be concluded, therefore, is that it takes a
combination of nature and nurture to create behavioural patterns as adherent to our thesis. To make it more evident that nature alone cannot determine
human behaviour, we

Do you know how much your personality is the result of your genetic makeup, and how much is the result of the environment? The "nature–nurture"
question is one of the oldest issues in psychology. This question is applicable to identical twins. They are the same age, same–sex, have the same
genes, live in the same house, share same stuff, given identical presents, so in other words, they share the same environment from birth. The researcher
tends to know if identical twins really share the same personality.
In Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler, each person is an integrated whole, striving to future goals, and attempting to find meaning in life while
working harmoniously with others. There are four areas of individual psychology, the...show more content...
There are levels or structure of the psyche (mind) and one of it is the Archetype, the primeval content of racial unconscious consisting of inherited
ideas and predispositions, and the universal images, thoughts, ideas, or symbols that contain a large element of emotion. There are five main
archetypes, and one of them is the persona. It the mask adopted by the person in response to the demands of social convention and tradition and it is
the role that a person acted. Carl Jung considered many psychological types that emerge from the union of two (2) basic attitudes, the introversion and
extraversion. Introversion is the orientation of the psychic energy inward while the extraversion is the tendency to direct the personality outward.
The research is also associated with the theory of Albert Bandura, the Social Cognitive Theory, in which postulates that the portion of an individual's
knowledge acquisition can be directly related to observing others within the context of social interactions, experiences, and outside media influences.
Based in this theory, behavior is the product of continuous interaction of an individual to his environment. People respond to environmental events, and
certainly they often learn characteristic behaviors as the result of rewards and punishments.
The Trait Theory of Gordon Willard

Essay on Nature vs Nurture
Nature vs. Nurture
M. B.
Liberty University
Psychology 101
Nature vs. Nurture There has been extensive debate between scholars in the field of psychology surrounding the Nature vs. Nurture issue. Both nature
and nurture determine who we are and neither is solely independent of the other. "As the area of a rectangle is determined by its length and its width,
so do biology and experience together create us."(Myers, 2008, p. 8) Carl Gustav Jung, and leading thinker and creator of analytical psychology,
believes: "Human behavior is influenced both by individual experience and also by an innate "collective unconscious" that vests all of us with certain
proclivities and tendencies."(Hayes, 2000, p. 7) From my personal life experience...show more content...
History
The history of the Nature vs. Nurture began with Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection. At one time, entire cultural groups were considered
to be inferior or superior by nature and ethnicity. During the late Middle Ages, philosophers began to recognize differences among groups dependent on
their socialization or nurture. Nature vs. Nurture began to be controversial in the 20th Century when the Nazis began to destroy humans of a certain
nature to develop the perfect human race. This prompted psychological debate on whether human identity was by nature or subject to socialism by
nurture. (Prien, Pitts, & Kamery, 2003, p. 51)
Characteristics
The characteristics of nature vs. nurture are quite different. Nature is those qualities about a person that are deemed genetic. Such genetics heritability
includes a person's color and gender. Nature is a person's biological determinism. Characteristics of nurture include environmental variation and external
influences. These characteristics are dependent on such factors as social status and education and the influence these factors have on a person's
character. In my opinion, both nature and nurture uniformly determine of person's personality and intelligence. This opinion is widely debated but not
debunked.
Concluding Thoughts
John Tooby and Leda Cosmides, two highly respected and influential people in the nature vs. nurture study state, "Evolutionary psychology is not just
another

Nature vs. Nurture Essay
Different personality traits make us who we are today. There are many factors to our personalities and each aspect illustrates a bigger picture of
who we are and how we came to be. Openness to experience is a factor of the Five Factor Model (FFM) that describes my personality and is an
essential part of who I am in this society. Openness utilizes active imagination, attentiveness to inner feelings, intellectual curiosity, interest in variety,
and interest in aesthetics. It is used to display a general appreciation for creative ideas, imaginations, and the arts. Due to a sufficient amount of
psychometric research, it is valid to say that openness is viewed as a global personality trait that is comprised of a set of specific habits,...show more
content...
Although, they were traditionally Korean in the sense that they craved discipline and enforced good morals on me, they were also understanding of
the imaginative world. Also, my parents are true believers of being open to all types of art. However, not only are they true believers of this
openness, it is apparent that is in them that they are open to experience. Ever since I was five, I have played the cello. This driving force behind the
pursuit of music stems from my parents' broad outlook on the arts and their thoughts on how important it is to learn about the arts. These evidences
display that openness to experience carries a genetic component. Not only in my immediate family is it apparent that there is a genetic component to
openness to experience, but in my extended family it is evident as well. Another prime example of the "nature" quality of openness is illustrated
through my twin cousins. I have twin cousins, who were raised in drastically different environments. However despite the different environments,
both of my cousins have the same FMM trait: openness to experience. One of the twins named Yuri was sent to boarding school in America at an
early age while my other twin cousin Nari stayed in Korea. Yuri was raised by my aunt and uncle in New York City and lived a very liberal and
non–traditionally Korean lifestyle. On the other hand, Nari remained in Korea and was raised in a very culturally

Nature vs Nurture Essay
Nature vs Nurture
The issues pitting nature against nurture are exceptionally significant for the gamut of discoveries that attribute an increasing proportion of traits and
behaviours to one's genetic makeup. The resulting variety of physical shortcomings and limitations in each person has, for centuries, been countered by
endeavours to improve or interfere where necessary, and every individual is consequently the product of a delicate middle path of balance between the
two.
The importance of nurturing is nearly boundless, and there is no better evidence than the oft–cited case of identical twins who, despite identical nuclear
genomes and mitochondrial DNA, will duly differ in physique and behaviour if raised (i.e., nurtured) in...show more content...
It follows that the quality – or lack thereof – of a person's genetic makeup may impose physical barriers and limitations on the upward mobility implicit
in the concept of nurturing. Persons disadvantaged by the misfortune of hereditary conditions such as thalassemia, sickle cell anemia and
phenylketonuria are testimonies to the importance of the genome, and it is for want of a certain quality of life, that intervention is necessary.
Furthermore, as Theodore Friedmann writes in Gene Therapy, the fundamental cause of many diseases has been traced to genetic defects responsible
for "setting up a condition of increased susceptibility to either infectious or damaging agents in the environment" (70). The genetic component in a
broad range of afflictions, including cancer, indeed cannot be over–emphasised.
Hence the urgency to remedy the very root of the condition, bordering on an attempt to nurture even nature itself. MIT scientist David Baltimore is
quoted elsewhere in the same volume as commenting that while the pharmacological treatment of diseases has "ameliorated conditions and... dealt
with symptoms... it has very rarely solved the underlying problems and very rarely provided... a normal life for the individuals who are afflicted"
(57). Much headway has since been made in areas such as recombinant DNA gene transfer and in gene fixing –

Nature vs Nurture
For the past five weeks we have studied three different but influential people in our perspective on human nature class. They are Freud, Plato and Tzu.
The main discussion between all of them is nature versus nurture. I will discuss the difference between nature and nurture and then I'll apply to each of
these philosophers and how they react to it.
When looked up in the dictionary the term nature means the universe and its phenomena or one's own character and temperament. When discussed with
these philosophers it is meant as one's own character revolved around the universe for which they live in, basically they're surroundings. At the same
time when I looked up the word nurture it said the upbringing,...show more content...
Not because we were taught those things but for the fact that they are instincts embedded in our minds for survival. For nurture the psychosexual
development is due majorly because of nurture. From oral to anal–retentive these are all due to expressive characteristics that are given or raised from
birth. The one that has the most effect is the structural model. Reasons for me stating this is because the id is the primitive part of the mind that is
basically a natural instinct. At the same time the ego is also because of natural instinct simply because of the reality principle. Freud even went as far
as stating, "..adults ego–feeling can't have been the same from beginning. It must have gone through a process of development"(13). The part where it
changes is the superego, which is the only form of nurture in the psychoanalytic perspective, which is because the superego only developed because
the child began to incorporate parental values and also operates according to the raising and discipline of the parents.
Now if you look at Plato's point of view Plato supports nurture more than nature. The only points that Plato made that would seem to support nature is
the point he made for example is when he talks about female guards. The reason for this is also because he feels that women should be given lighter

The old question about nature versus nurture has made a lot of different opinions in the world. Some people think that everything that they are, is
because genetic. However, other persons think that the environment makes who they are. In my opinion nature and nurture make people's life different,
depending what factor people take to develop the differences between nature and nurture, it can explain if all human behavior are learned or is part of
it inherited. Nurture is defined by the society and environment people live in. Most people take their personality or talents from the place where they
use to be. The environment influences people's life. The society can see how the personality of a person is by knowing who are the people around
...show more content...
This research gives a good explanation about how the different environments change the personality of the twins. They have the same genes but
their personalities have changed in a big way. Besides, the author describes the two twins. ABC claims that "Lily has no siblings; Gillian has two.
Lily's family is Presbyterian; Gillian's is Catholic. Lily's neighborhood is ethnically mixed; Gillian's is not. Lily's family celebrates some Chinese
holidays and plans on sending her to Chinese educational classes; Gillian's family does not, instead wanting her to become part of Canadian culture"
(ABC NEW). The twins' environment is totally different. It makes that their personality, way to talk, and express show as they weren't twins. Nurture
is described by the environment that people live in. Depending the place where a person is, can affect or benefit him. Nature emphasizes in how
people acquire things by genetic, hereditary tendencies and biological factors. Some people use to copy or obtain different characteristics from their
family. In many families, people make hereditary tendencies to the next generations year by year. In addition, children acquire many things from their
parents. Such as, gender, psychological disorders, eye color, hair, lips, dimples, curled toes, eating habits, and stress. The web site ThoughtCo provides
a briefly explanation of nature using homosexuality as support. Crossman claims that "Homosexuality is considered a genetic result rather than a

Nature vs. Nurture
The dubious history of the heredity environment controversy can be easily traced as far back as the start of the present century with at least some
historical evidence placing the roots of this dispute in the time of John Locke.
This controversy has continued despite continual reiteration that the critical question is not how much of a trait is due to heredity and how much is due
to environment, but rather how environment transact to influence development." (
Wachs , 1983, p. 386).
This paper will focus on the nature/nurture controversy and the extent to which an individuals intellectual level is determined either by inborn
intelligence or by environmental factors.
The relative powers of nature and nurture have been...show more content...
Among these elements are some of the most relevant issues pertaining to this subject including: twin, adoption, family, orphanage life, IQ, and race
studies. It is to these studies we will now turn our attention.
TWIN STUDIES
The importance of twin studies is evident if we look at the studies objectively, if intelligence is basically hereditary, identical twins who have the same
genetic legacy, should be concordant for that trait than are fraternal twins, which are no more alike genetically than other siblings.
Burt's (1958) famous study show that the intelligence test scores of identical twins, whether reared together or apart , display considerably higher
correlation than the scores of fraternal twins.
Burt's work is currently viewed with caution due to the manner in which he gathered and interpreted his data (Vernon, 1979). However, Burt's research
provides an important foundation for this research.
Jone's study (1946) shows that there is a modest difference in the intelligence test scores of twins reared apart, and the more divergent the
environments, the greater the difference.
"While environmental factors are important in raising or lowering a child's level of intellectual performance, these studies demonstrate that they only
do so within limits set by heredity." (Mussen, Conger, and Kagon, 1963

p.52)
The Louisville Twin Study (Wilson, 1983) showed that environmental considerations such as characteristics of home and the

Nature vs. Nurture
When we look at the world around us today, we are struck by the amazing diversity that we see in people. There is a vast diversity in the
characteristics of people that are immediately obvious: short, tall; fat, thin; Asian, Caucasian; and many other characteristics. Each person as an
individual is unique, be it in physical outlook or character. How is it that of the 6 billion people on Earth, there are no 2 individuals who are exactly
alike? Every persons physical and psychological characteristics are determined by many factors, and these can be divided into 2 main groups: our genes
and our environment, or nature and nurture.
What are our genes? Genes are the chemical blueprint unique to each person. Different...show more content...
This shows that even in similar environments, differences will still arise regardless of their genetic constitution, i.e. minor variations will result in large
differences in phenotype regardless of genotype.
Human behaviour is a complex interaction between genes and the environment. In its more advanced forms, behaviour is not determined by genes. For
example, the most common behaviour found in adults of any race is the use of language, whereas in newborns, language must be taught. If it was
genetically determined, then the baby should be able to speak once born: the tongue and throat would not have to distort into positions they are not
used to. Primitive behaviour is more likely to be genetically programmed into an individual. For example, the sucking and grasping reflexes of a
newborn infant are present even in the womb, before any interaction with the environment is possible. These behavioural traits may involve reflex arcs
present only in newborns because after some time, the individuals no longer behave in this manner. Perhaps cultural influences cause an inhibition of
the neural pathway (such as the mother telling the infant to stop sucking it's thumb). The majority of behavioural traits are acquired later in the
development of an individual. Most people go through very strange behavioural changes in the course of their development, especially during

Essay on Behavior: Nature vs. Nurture
For centuries psychologists have argued over which plays the larger role in child development, heredity or environment. One of the first theories was
proposed in the seventeenth century by the British philosopher John Locke. Locke believed that a child was born with an empty mind, tabula rasa
(meaning "blank slate") and that everything the child learns comes from experience, nothing is established beforehand. Years later, Charles Darwin
brought forth his theory of evolution, which led to a return of the hereditarian viewpoint. With the twentieth century, however, came the rise of
behaviorism. Behaviorists, like John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner, argued that a child can be made into any kind of person, regardless of their heredity.
Today,...show more content...
She claims that after the parents contribute an egg or sperm filled with DNA, their job of "creating" a child is complete. Her book is backed by some
750 references, but most of her conclusions come from the observation of her own two daughters; one her own and one adopted (Begley, p. 53).
Parents, however, do play an important role in childhood development. For the purposes of this essay, her theory that parents have no lasting effects on
a child's personality will be argued. The following contains supporting scientific evidence.
The DNA structure of a human, the genes, determines the height a person will reach, whether an individual's eyes will be green or brown, and if a
person's hair will be straight or curly (Saplosky, p.44). Research has also found that genes are 30 to 70 percent responsible for personality traits such
as aggression, passion, shyness and intelligence. The other 30 to 70 percent of a person's personality develop from the environment (Pool, p. 52).
Genes, however, are not what produces a behavior, an emotion, or even a thought. Instead, genes produce a protein that contains hormones, which carry
messages between cells, and neurotransmitters that carry messages between nerve cells. The protein also contains receptors that receive the hormonal
and neurotransmitter messages as well as enzymes that read the messages. So what does all this have to

Nature vs. Nurture It is a matter of concern whether human behaviors and characteristics are determined by nature or nurture. If a person's behavior is
inherited directly from the genes of his/her parents or other biological factors, then it is the nature that determines his character. But if the environment
that a person grew up in, affects his behavior, then it is the nurture that determines his/her character. It became a great matter of controversy among
scientists, psychologists and sociologists. Previously, many people believed that human behavior was instinctive. It can neither be taught nor learned.
But later some psychologists came to the conclusion that human behavior is learned throughout the lifetime which is not instinctive....show more
content...
This may not be because of particularly being a black man, but because of the culture he has adopted since his childhood. Here he somehow takes the
side of nurture. Many black people are assumed to be criminals. People judge them just by their appearance and the impression black people have
made in today's world. But this does not always mean that every black people are criminals and it's their biological factor that makes them do
crimes. We can take the example of Brent Staple. Even though he was an educated and good person, many people and especially white women fear
of him. But he was neither an uneducated person nor a criminal. He was brought up in a good family and properly nurtured by his parents. Therefore,
nurturing became the factor for his behavior. Similarly, there are examples given by another author Amy Cunningham in her essay, "Why Women
Smile". Although she focuses primarily on a smile, she tends to explain the actual cause of one's behavior. She explains that a smile or particularly a
women's smile comes from both natural happiness as well as the hope of people living around them, "The behavior seems to be an equal blend of
nature and nurture" (Cunningham 190). She further explains that both a normal baby and a blind baby smiles, although it may take a little longer for
the blind one. It means that the smiles are natural and should not be taught in all cases. However, there are situations where

Nature vs. Nurture
Through time, psychologists have argued over whether only our genes control our behaviors in life or if the environment and the people surrounding
us have any effect in our lives. This is called nature versus nurture. We do not know what dictates our behavior, or if it is acombination of both. One
question is, if genes control our behavior, are we really responsible for our actions? I think that if we can make choices we are responsible for our
actions. While or genes influence various aspects of our personalities, there is no denying that our environment has some effects too. Our genes make
us, but our experiences and our surroundings shape the way we behave...show more content...
Researchers have also found out that, even though a person may have a certain behavior–controlling gene, it is not always active. This research puts the
responsibility for actions back on the individual. Humans do have free will, and they can choose if they want to let their body or their mind control
them.
Another question is, if an individual does not have the "bad gene," but they commit a crime, are they more responsible. To look at this issue from
another perspective, judges determine responsibility for actions by something called blameworthiness. This acknowledges a person of their actions
and their consequences. If a person does not know what they are doing, such as a mentally ill person who commits a crime, or they are not aware
of the consequences, such as a child who plays with a parent's gun, then they cannot be legally held responsible. This would answer the previous
question with a firm no. Blameworthiness makes no mention of genes, so if you had the "bad gene" and you committed a crime that you were fully
aware of doing and you knew the consequences if you got caught, you would be fully responsible for your actions. From my standpoint, all healthy
individuals are responsible for their actions. I believe that genes control our physical characteristics, but have a small role in controlling our behaviors.
As I mentioned before, some people have a certain genes, but they are not active in their bodies. This could mean

Argumentative Essay On Nature Vs Nurture

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Argumentative Essay On Nature Vs Nurture