Nature VS NurtureResearch writing 310Joi Tucker.docx

Nature VS Nurture
Research writing 310
Joi Tucker
Wilmington University
Nature VS Nurture

Abstract
Nature vs Nurture is one of the oldest arguments known to the
Psychology genre. For those who do not know; simply put, the
underlying question is, can behaviors be inherited? Initially,
upon answering the question without any regard to the actual
research and experiments done in this field a conclusion was
drawn that Nature outweighs Nurture and that the behaviors of
men are innate in that they are inherited genes that have
influence over our behaviors. Upon further investigation and
deeper insight, it is of my belief that the behaviors of men are
based not solely on the behavior of their parents and their
genetic makeup but also, by socioeconomic, traditional,
educational, religious, and many other external factors. This
paper will demonstrate the multiple schools of thought and their
perspective on behaviorism, specifically when it comes to the
argument of Nature vs Nurture. These perspectives will be used
in order to justify the position that was previously stated, that
the behaviors of men are influenced not only by their biology
but also by their upbringing and multiple external factors.

Nature versus Nurture is one of the oldest debates within
Psychology. It is concerned with the extent to which aspects of
behavior are a product of either inherited (i.e., genetic) or

acquired (i.e., learned) characteristics. Previous to delving into
this topic I took the stance that Nature outweighed Nurture and
that human behaviors were innate in that they were solely
influenced by one’s genetic makeup. After vigorous research on
the topic an attempt to take the stance that aspects of behavior
are a product of inherited characteristics. Most people no matter
what their upbringing and socioeconomical positions are prone
to specific types of behaviors due to their genetic makeup.
Within this argumentative essay, the attempt to write about
Nature vs Nurture taking the perspective that human behaviors
are derived from a combination of the two. The plan is to
investigate multiple schools of thought in regards to the topic in
order to prove the theory which was previously stated; human
behaviors are a product of both genetic and environmental
influences.
Within the world of biology, it is widely known that
physical characteristics as well as one’s vulnerability to certain
illnesses are because of one’s genetic makeup. It is of no
surprise that one may share the color their mother’s eyes while
inheriting their father’s diabetes. If you are a male, you may be
prone to balding in your early 30’s just as your father did and
women whose mother suffered from Breast Cancer have a higher
likelihood of acquiring the same illness. Understanding how
genetics works and now knowing how its functioning
contributes to physical attributes as well as biological ailments,
the question of whether this same functioning applies when it
comes to psychological characteristics remains a great debate
within Psychology even until this day. In order to answer this
question, we must first investigate how genes work and what
their functions are.
Genetics is the study of heredity and variations. Heredity
and variations are controlled by genes—what they are, what
they do, and how they work? Genes inside the nucleus of a cell
are strung together in such a way that the sequence carries
information: that information determines how living organisms
inherit various features (phenotypic traits). This explains why

offspring produced by sexual reproduction usually look like
each of their parents because they have inherited some of each
of their parent's genes. Genetics tell us which features are
inherited and explains how these features pass from generation
to generation. However, although genes are inherited, they can
also be altered based on environmental changes. This is the
bases of evolution, for example, one may inherit their parent’s
complexion and due to genes have darker skin; something
determined by the production of melanin, but evolution tells us
that as the environment changed (migration away from the
equator) the complexion of the skin became lighter. How do we
apply these processes to psychological characteristics?
Brunner syndrome is a rare genetic disorder associated
with a mutation in the MAOA gene. It is characterized by lower
than average IQ (typically about 85), problematic impulsive
behavior (such as arson, hypersexuality and violence), sleep
disorders and mood swings. It was identified in fourteen males
from one family in 1993. It has since been discovered in two
additional families. In 2009, an Italian Appeal court granted a
reduced sentence to a convicted murderer on grounds that he
had a version of the MAOA gene.(Feresin E 2009). Although to
some this may seem extremely ridiculous there are growing
studies showing that low-expression variant of MAOA, known
as MAOA-L has been linked in various studies with increased
risk of violent and aggressive behavior. This is a clear example
of how genes can influence one’s behavior however, it is not
stated on what this man’s background and upbringing consisted
of. Are all individuals diagnosed with Brunner syndrome prone
to violent behavior and hypersexuality? What is it that these
people have in common besides the gene itself? Are these 3
families somehow connected in that the males are exhibiting
common behaviors and why is this gene not affecting the
females?
For us to understand this on a better level, it is important
for us to look into multiple schools of thought as it pertains to
Psychology, specifically behaviorism. It is also just as

important for us to investigate research done by those who side
one aspect over the other (Nature vs Nurture). Comparing these
ideologies would render us better informed in order to come to a
logical explanation and will substantiate the perspective that
behavior is a result of both Nature and Nurture’s influences.
Behaviorism
Behaviorism became a popular school of thought within
psychology during the 1950’s with prominent thinkers such as
John B Watson, Ivan Pavlov, and B.F. Skinner. While each of
these behaviorist had different beliefs and methodologies, their
overall belief was one in the same. Behaviorism suggests that
all behaviors are determined by environmental factors and that
in fact internal forces play absolutely no role in the behaviors
of human beings as well as members of the animal kingdom and
they tend to focus on observable behaviors.
John B. Watson’s theory on behaviorism is that behaviors
were a response to stimuli. He believed that over time people
learn to act as a result of behavioral conditioning. For example,
a curious child may be exploring the home and exhibit an
interest in an electrical socket, when the child begins to play
with, or even stick items inside of the socket an adult may yell
the word no every time the child gets near the electrical outlet.
The child may even find a piece of metal and place it inside of
the socket thereby exposing the child to electricity. Either way,
the child then learns that maybe he shouldn’t play with the
socket die to either being constantly told no or even have his
fingers “popped” or by being electrocuted and therefore the
child learns a new behavior of being cautious when around
electrical sockets and touching them or playing with them is a
bad idea.
Ivan Pavlov was a famous Russian Physiologist known for
his theory of classical conditioning. In this theory, born by
accident during an experiment on the digestion of dogs Pavlov
discovered that these dogs could learn new behavior with the
influence of stimuli as previously concluded by Watson. In
other words an organism is conditioned in such an environment

that it produces the conditioned response from the conditioned
stimulus. The conditioned stimulus is neutral prior to the
experiment. Through the process of repetition, pairing the
neutral stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus leads to the
neutral or conditioned stimulus causing the organism to produce
the conditioned response. Classical conditioning though referred
to as a theory is actually based on sound evidence when Pavlov
was able to manage his dogs’ salivation with the sound of a
bell. One may observe this phenomenon in their everyday life if
they own a cat. While visiting a friend who owns two kittens I
observed her being able to call the kittens to wherever she was
in the home simply by shaking the box of cat food. It seems as
though the kittens learned to associate the sound of the food
being shaken in the box with being fed and so whenever they
heard the box being shaken no matter where they were in the
home, they would come running. (PyscheStudy 2018)
B.F. Skinner was regarded to as the “father of Operant
Conditioning”. According to this principle, behavior that is
followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated, and
behavior followed by unpleasant consequences is less likely to
be repeated. He introduced the term reinforcement into the field
and made the argument that behavior that is reinforced tends to
strengthen while behavior that is not reinforced tends to be
weakened. He speaks on positive reinforcement, negative
reinforcement and punishment and how these ideas can in turn
influence one’s behaviors. With positive reinforcement
behaviors are reinforced or strengthened by reward. An example
of this one can use to put this into perspective would be getting
ice cream or a gift for getting good grades in school. This in
most instances would encourage the child to do well in class in
order to reap the reward. With negative reinforcement, this is
the idea of removing something an unpleasant reinforcer. To put
this into perspective one may think of having a toy taken away
for bad behavior. The idea of having one’s favorite toy taken
away can influence an individual’s behavior. Lastly the idea of
punishment deals with the exact opposite of reinforcement and

uses aversive events to manipulate or influence one’s behaviors.
The idea of spanking children is an example of punishment
however this mechanism has its adverse effects on one’s psyche.
The issue with these three theories; Watson, Pavlov, and
Skinner is that they completely dismiss the biological factors
that could have an effect on the behaviors in the first place.
Also it does not deal with whether these “stimuli” in of itself
has an effect on the biology thereby causing the change in
behavior. Looking at the same examples lets examine how this
can be problematic.
With Watson’s theory using the example of the child being
influenced to stay away from the electrical socket lets say that
the child was constantly screamed at “No!” by its Mother every
time he was near the socket. The child may then react in a
surprised manner causing a surge of adrenaline into the child’s
system. This may cause anxiety, increased sweating, dizziness
and other symptoms that makes the child associate those
biological reactions with the socket causing a phobia of
electrical sockets and in turn influences the child to stay away
from them. There are instances in history and even today where
people have irrational fears or phobias with no underlying
explanation. One theory as to why this is, is that of genetics.
One family member having a bad experience with a specific
object, entity, or person and biological changes within their
body (i.e. release of adrenaline) causing genetic mutation which
is then passed down to a subsequent relative. This idea would
prove my perspective that behaviors are determined by not only
one’s genetic makeup but environmental influences play just as
much as a role with biological changes being internal forces and
the reaction of the mother being environmental.
Using Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning also
assumes no biological contribution. Using this method on a
child who is essentially unintelligent due to biological factors
such as a mental retardation will not make them do better in
school. For this reason it is important to look at both biological
or genetic factors as well as sociological or environmental

factors in analyzing one’s behaviors.
Psychoanalytic Psychology
Psychoanalytic Psychology or Psychoanalysis was founded
by Sigmund Freud. It is the study of a set of theories and
therapeutic techniques related to the study of the unconscious
mind. As this related to Nature vs Nurture, Freud believed that a
person's development is determined by often forgotten events in
early childhood, rather than by inherited traits alone and that
human behavior and cognition are largely determined by
instinctual drives that are rooted in the unconscious mind.
Simply put, Freud took the position of Nurture over Nature
although he implemented Nature as a part of his theory. In his
theory Freud speaks on 3 aspects of the mind: the id, the ego,
and the superego. He believes that within one’s brain, there are
different “psychical agencies” that control ourselves. The id is a
primal desire that drives us to achieve basic urges; the super-
ego, a sort of moral compass; and the ego, a development from
the id that analyzes the simultaneous needs of the id, superego,
and the stimuli of reality in order to synthesis choices. Freud
explains that the id is inherent in everyone, as we inherit it from
birth. The super-ego and ego, on the other hand, are influenced
by more personal experiences.
This theory is further explained in the more famous
Oedipus Complex (for boys) and Electra Complex (for girls). It
is a theory by Freud where a complex of emotions aroused in a
young child, typically around the age of four, by an unconscious
sexual desire for the parent of the opposite sex and wish to
exclude the parent of the same sex. If you are familiar with the
story of Oedipus then you know it is about a boy who fell in
love with his mother and killed his father out of jealousy. In
this instance the id being the primal instincts expresses itself in
the form of murder. The super-ego expresses itself in the child’s
experience with his mother, growing from a boy to a man had
his experiences with his mother been negative I am sure the
outcome would be have been different so this gives credit to the
environmental factors within the situation. Either way it is

looked at both Nature and Nurture has an affect on the behavior
of Oedipus, described as the id and superego by Sigmund Freud.
There are those among us who would adamantly disagree
with all of the previously mentioned professionals and argue the
point that Nature plays a significant role or even is solely
responsible for one’s behavior. In March of 2018, researchers
from the University of Cambridge, the Institute Pasteur, Paris
Diderot University in Paris, and genetics company 23andMe
evaluated empathy based on participants’ Empathy Quotient
(EQ) scores. After evaluating both the ability to understand
others’ thoughts and feelings as well as reacting or responding
to others’ emotions with what is referred to as an appropriate
emotion. In this study, using self reporting methods researchers
ran a test that was able to show that dissimilarity in genetics
correspond with changes in empathy. It was stated that there
were 10 million genetic variants used in this study and found
out that these distinctions are responsible for about 10% of
differences in empathy. “Any human attribute is partly genetic,”
says Varun Warrier who is a Psychologist and co-author of the
paper. “Even something like empathy that most people might
think is not genetic does have genetic correlates.” His words
were documented in an article published in (2015 by Psych
Central). This study is used by those who take the position of
Nature over Nurture in order to justify their stance however it is
important to note that although there are correlates between
genes and one’s empathy or lack thereof that this does not mean
that empathy is beyond one’s control. It simply means that one
may have a genetic predisposition to adjusting their empathy
levels. Environmental influences play a large role in people’s
abilities to be empathetic, so this cannot be totally dismissed
when assessing one’s level of empathy and genes should not be
the only factor taken into consideration. Yet, when people
blame their parents for specific traits, they have good reason for
doing so.
Another study done in favor of Nature playing a bigger
role in one’s behaviors and psychopathy is that of the “gay

gene”. This is a study that has taken place more frequently in
the last decade. For the first time, individual genes have been
identified that may influence how sexual orientation develops in
boys and men, both in the womb and during life. Alan Sanders
at North Shore University, Illinois, and his team pinpointed
these genes by comparing DNA from 1077 gay and 1231
straight men. This gave them the ability to home in on two
genes whose variants seem to be linked to sexual orientation.
One of the genes is active in a part of the brain called the
diencephalon. In spite of this information there are those who
would argue that homosexuality is a behavior and that behaviors
cannot be inherited. Also the idea of being born gay stems from
the and was influenced by the study of eugenics and introduced
by Francis Galton a known eugenicist of the late 19th and early
20th century.(Nature scientific reports) Galton was greatly
influenced by his cousin Charles Darwin’s the Origin of
Species in 1859. Galton believed that intelligence was inherited
and that through breeding science improving the genetics of
quality of the human population could be achieved. This topic is
highly controversial as it was the precursor Nazi Germany and
the Holocaust in an attempt to create a “Master Race” through
population control and extermination. It could be said that
Galton was bias in his work as he was an advent racist who
believed that Black people were genetically inferior to White
people. For this reason the whole argument has to be debunked
that behaviors such as sexual interactions are inherent.
According to Dr Umar Johnson who is a Doctor of Clinical
Psychology and Certified School Psychologist, in an interview
on VLAD TV published on October 7, 2016 over 95% of the gay
and lesbian students that he was assigned to treat were sexually
violated by the age of 12. He uses this experience and statistic
to justify his belief that no one is born gay, but in fact are
influenced by the lifestyle through trauma.
In knowing this information an argument on the issue of
sexuality, that one may inherit a gene which can influence the
sexuality of the child and that when trauma occurs to a child by

way of sexual abuse that this gene, otherwise dormant, is
triggered thereby expressing itself in the form of
homosexuality.
Conclusion
In conclusion the theory of Nature Vs Nurture is a very old and
difficult theory to prove. The characteristics that bond family
members range anywhere from eye color to replications in
mutant DNA that cause cancer. Certain effects in life are things
that human beings have no control over, others are effects that
some say are completely within control such as behavior.
There are sceptics that will argue that they themselves have
never been traumatized as a child and that it was known as long
as they can remember that they were attracted to the same sex.
Some families have children with both the biological Mother
and Father in the home yet out of several children being raised
under the same roof there may be someone who is considered
the “black sheep”, because they just have not conformed to the
house rules handed down by the parents. At the end of it all it
can be said that both Nature and Nurture play a very significant
part in the molding that happens in the upbringing of children
that makes a stage for productive adults for society.

Bibliography
US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
EMBO Rep. 2010 Sep; 11(9): 667–669 Phillip Hunter
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2933872/
Simply Psychology
McLeod, S. A. (2017, May 03). Nature vs nurture in
psychology. Retrieved from
https://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html
Feresin E (2009) Lighter sentence for murderer with ‘bad
genes'. Nature doi:10.1038/news.2009.1050
Olivia Goldhill (2018, March 12) The Ability to Feel Empathy
or Not is Based on Your Genes Retrieved from
https://qz.com/1226026/the-ability-to-feel-empathy-or-not-is-
shaped-by-your-genes/
Nature Scientific Reports, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15736-4
Retrieved from https://www.newscientist.com/article/2155810-
what-do-the-new-gay-genes-tell-us-about-sexual-orientation/
A Second Look at Twin Studies by Lea Winterman April 2004,
Vol 35, No. 4 Retrieved from
https://www.apa.org/monitor/apr04/second.aspx
Identical Twins are Not Genetically Identical by Berit Brogaard
D.M. Sci, Ph.D. November 25, 2012 Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-superhuman-
mind/201211/identical-twins-are-not-genetically-identical

Francis Galton, Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its
Development (London, England: Macmillan and Co., 1883), pp.
24–25.
Weibell, C. J. (2011). Principles of learning: 7 principles to
guide personalized, student-centered learning in the technology-
enhanced, blended learning environment. Retrieved July 4, 2011
from [https://principlesoflearning.wordpress.com].
https://www.reference.com/world-view/john-b-watson-s-
behavior-theory-c4dc5170545da234
PsycheStudy: Classical Conditioning (2018)
https://www.psychestudy.com/behavioral/learning-
memory/classical-conditioning/theory
Page 1 of 16
ENG 310 Researched Argument Outline
Please review the components of each section of the ENG 310
Researched Argument. Then respond to the various prompts (in
italics) that direct you to provide specific information about the
plan for the Researched Argument Essay you are crafting.
Completing this plan is the first step in the research and
argument process after you have submitted your initial Thesis
Statement.
(For now, we will put aside the title page and the abstract. You
will be adding to the reference page with each section of the
essay, while the title page and abstract will be part of the

finishing stages of the assignment.)
Element 1—Thesis Statement
(Already submitted, but please copy to this document and note
if there are any changes)
This is one-two sentences that both preview and frame out the
essay. The writer will tells the reader the subject being
discussed, the writer’s opinion on the subject and the
reasons/evidence the writer will use as proof of her argument.
This statement must be specific, yet broad. It must argue
specific parts of a specific argument that are well-researched
through library databases as well as reputable professional
sources. (LibGuides)
The controlling idea/credible claim/thesis statement of the essay
must be debatable: the writer must take one side or another of
an argument and be able to sustain this argument throughout a
14-18 page paper.
This statement will evolve as you move through the research
process.
Please provide your thesis statement/controlling idea in its
current form, thinking about the subject, your opinion, and the
reasons you will use to defend your opinion.

Element 2—Introduction Sequence 1-3 pages (20 points)
Provides: background/context/definitions/identification of
current trends/ identification of recent discoveries -- anything
the reader needs to be aware of before need to know before the
beginning Literature Review section and the rest of the essay.
The writer must think of how best to engage the audience –
what will make them care about the subject and the writer’s
opinion?
Somewhere in this sequence will be an issue statement. This is
where the writer discusses the issue at hand, but does not yet
present her opinion on the subject.
Many people have been questioning the need for genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) and whether GMOs should be
clearly labeled in stores. On the one hand, GMOs have the
potential to solve world-hunger issues. On the other hand,
GMOs may be contributing to increasing obesity crisis in
America.
This section ends with the controlling idea/credible claim/thesis
statement of the Researched Argument paper. This is one to
two sentences that both preview and frame out the essay. The
writer tells the reader the subject being discussed, the writer’s
opinion on the subject and the reasons/evidence the writer will
use as proof of her argument.
The controlling idea/credible claim/thesis statement of the essay
must be debatable: the writer must take one side or another of
an argument and be able to sustain this argument throughout a
14-18 page paper.
Because you are submitting a first draft of your introduction
this week, please just provide a short overview of your
Introduction Section (including the thesis statement). You can
use bullet points, but avoid listing one-word entries. Start with

the thesis statement. Then name the terms or concepts you will
define or introduce and/or any background information you will
cover. Finally, mention how you will engage the reader.
Element 3—Body/Discussion 7-8 pages (20 points)
· Reports the opinions/theories of scholars/experts regarding the
claim in support of the student writer’s argument
· Demonstrates that the writer has reviewed the most important
and current literature on the subject
· Summarizes previous investigations in order to inform the
reader of the state of the current research
· Reflects a point of view about the research claim: This is not
the writer’s point of view, rather the point of view of other
researchers of this topic. However, these researchers’ finding
have informed the student writer’s opinion. The student writer
uses this evidence to both demonstrate her expertise/right to an
opinion as well as convincing the student writer has spent many
hours researching your sources.
· Researching not only means getting the sources, but reading
and digesting the sources. Students should make an effort to
summarize original sources in order to truly understand the
researcher’s argument. Student writers also need to look

carefully at charts and data to be able to interpret the data for
additional use in an argument.
· This secetion will be heavily documented: includes
parenthetical documentation for each paraphrase or summary of
an author’s original thought, for direct quotes, and for statistics
– i.e. information that is not common knowledge must be cited.
· This section is written as an essay. The student writer will
transition from the introduction into this section with both a
heading and a transition.
· This section will start with previewing the sections in the
discussion – what parts of the argument are the most
compelling? Where is the most credible evidence? (“Credible”
is about facts, but also getting the audience to believe it.)
· The writer may choose to break this section of the paper into
sub-sections. The sub-sections would consist of evidence
presented along themes that support the credible claim. The
writer will use APA 6th ed. level 2 headings for these
subsections.
· The body of the essay is a series of paragraphs that use
sources to identify, verify, analyze, or prove the claim. The
body of this section may use any of the following modes:
Chronology
Comparisons
Contrasts
Causes
Effects
Definition
Examples (illustration)
Classification
Divisions
Processes
Please provide a detailed overview of your Body/Discussion
section; namely, begin to categorize, group, compare, and
contrast the opinions, theories, and ideas, of scholars and

experts. Who are the experts in the field the student writer is
analyzing? What types of arguments are they making that can be
used to support your thesis statement?
Give examples of how you will use at least three of the above
development methods.
Think about what resources are available: LibGuides, Library
Databases, and Librarians themselves. In this overview, include
a couple of sentences that explore what resources you will use
to complete the task of finding quality research sources.
Consider talking to a librarian, even by email.
Element 4—Opposing Viewpoint 2-3 pages (15 points)
· The opposing viewpoint is also called the counter-argument.
What evidence would the other side offer to convince your
common audience that you were wrong? And how do you
effectively refute this opponent? With evidence, of course!
· When you did your research, you found articles that did not
support your argument. This is where you will use information
from those articles; then, you will use the information from the
articles you used in your discussion to disprove what the other
side is arguing.
· This section can be written two ways. The opposing position
paragraphs can be written to be grouped after the discussion
sections on the same topic or the opposing position can be its
own section. If it is its own section, use APA 6th ed. level
heading 1.
· The body of this section may use any of the following
development methods:
Comparisons
Contrasts
Causes
Effects

Definition
Examples (illustration)
Classification
Divisions
Processes
Please provide an overview of the arguments that you will use
and then refute in this section. Give an overview of opposing
opinions, and detail how each of those can be refuted.
Determine if there are any opponents’ arguments that you have
to concede to – start thinking of how you plan to refute the
opponents. Give information regarding the specific sources you
will use to help edify your position.
Element 5—Conclusion* (10 points)
Restate your thesis without excess repetition
*You do not have to do all of these!
Look ahead (scope/time)
Call to action
Discuss broader implications: make connections to how your
issue may affect other
topics/fields
Although it is hard to determine the true contents of the
conclusion at this point, please provide some ideas as to what
you think you will discuss in your conclusion. Also think about
how you will foreshadow your conclusion in your paper so it is
not new information.

Element 6 -- References (15 points)
Eight – Twelve sources (two-thirds of the sources must be
scholarly; the remainder must be
Professional, or reliable sources that are not necessarily from
peer-reviewed journals)
You may have more than twelve sources, but not fewer
than eight.
Please provide a list of sources that you are considering using
in your Researched Argument. Include at least eight potential
scholarly/professional sources. This is not an annotated list.
Create the list in correct APA format. You will find examples
of APA references pages in “Examining Sample Papers,”
Chapter 9, Perrin.
Please note that the sources can be different from those
included in the Information Literacy Assignment that you
submitted in week one.
Please also note that the title page and abstract are not
handled in this document, but will be required along with an
assembled and revised paper week seven.
Additional Note
Please use this space to make relevant notes, comments, or
reminders regarding things that you need to record that may not
fit in the above categories. For example, you may want to make
a note about something you need to do more research about.

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