The Nature vs Nurture Debate

Nature vs Nurture

Introduction

The nature vs nurture debate is one of the oldest in psychology, the origin dating back to approximately 300 BC, during the time of Greek Philosophers Aristotle and Plato. The debate is centered around whether human behavior can be defined more by genetics (nature) or is learned from the surrounding environment (nurture). Nativism is when people believe that we are defined only by nature, the basic assumption of this is that characteristics of the human species as a whole are a product of evolution and individual differences are due to each person's unique genetic code. Empiricism is the extreme nurture viewpoint and the basic assumption that at birth the human mind is a blank slate and is eventually filled as a result of experience. The extreme nurture viewpoint believes that psychological characteristics appear during childhood, and are results of learning, therefore how you are raised determines psychologically significant aspects of child development.

Classical Period

The ‘Classical Period’ of the Nature vs Nurture debate was when the debate initially originated during 300 BC. This was when Plato, a Greek Philosopher theorized the idea that human behavior and knowledge were determined by natural factors and that all knowledge is already present at birth, this is known as ‘nativism.’ Plato proposed that the roots of human structure and function are already wired into us. However, he did believe that the environment still had an impact on human characteristics, but it does not teach us anything we already know. Instead, he suggests that it simply reminds us of what we already know, therefore Plato created the idea that thoughts and behaviors are present at birth.

Aristotle, however, contradicted Plato, his theory was that humans learn everything they know through experiences. This view is known as empiricism, which is the nurture side of the Nature vs Nurture debate. Aristotle proposed that when born humans have a ‘tabula rasa’ which translates to ‘blank slate’ meaning that when born humans know nothing and everything about us personality, behaviors, and traits are a result of what we learn from our environment. An example of how Aristotle tried to gain knowledge and develop his theory was through his focus on epigenesis, and his systematic study of growing chick embryos. From his study Aristotle learnt that as the embryo grew the structure and functions underwent a transformation, this is the process he named ‘epigenesis.’ The result of Aristotle’s study on chick embryos was that it provided one of the first insights into the process of underlying development.

The Classical Period was significant in terms of the nature vs nurture debate as it was when the debate initially came about. The debate opened the possibility that humans were born with all knowledge present at birth, nature. Then was contradicted by the theory that humans are born with a ‘tabula rasa’, blank slate and learn everything through experience, nurture.

Classical Period

1600s

The 1600s were significant in terms of the debate as it was when Locke theorized the belief that ‘Nurture is everything, nature nothing’. And Descartes contradicted this theory by taking the view that all humans are born with innate knowledge from God.

In the 1600s the main figure in the psychological debate of nature vs nurture was an English philosopher born in 1632, John Locke. Whose beliefs sided with the nurture side of the nature vs nurture debate. Locke believed that when we are born our minds are blank slates, and we develop everything through experience. This position on the nature vs nurture debate is known as ‘empiricism’ which is the belief that most or all human characteristics are learnt. A second figure in the debate during the 1600s was Descartes, a French mathematician and scientist whose beliefs surrounding the origin of human knowledge aligned with Plato’s from the Classical period. Descartes believed that when born all humans had innate knowledge supplied by God.

1600s

1800s

John Watson was born January 9th, 1878 and was best known for theorizing behaviorism and conducting the ‘Little Albert Experiment’ Watson was for the nurture side of the nature vs nurture debate and believed that regardless of a person's genetic background they could be trained to do and become anything. One way that Watson proved his theory was the Little Albert Experiment where through association Watson trained a young boy to become scared of a rat. This experiment proved that Classical Conditioning could be used to create an irrational fear of something. Therefore, Watson supported his theory that people could be trained to do anything by training a young boy to have a phobia of a rat.

1800s

The 1800s was when two key figures in the debate came about, Francis Galton born in 1822 who was best known for his work in human intelligence, and John Watson born 1878 who theorized behaviorism.

Francis Galton was born February 16th, 1822 and was known for his work in human intelligence. He was the first person to conduct a study on twins in relation to heredity and environment. Galton’s stance on nature vs nurture debate was that nature was dominant to nurture. He believed that most physical and mental characteristics were inherited and biologically determined. In 1875 Galton conducted the first study of twins, in which he sent out hundreds of surveys to parents of twins. The goal of the study was to learn about the differences between how twins were affected because of their life experiences. The result of the study was that 16 out of 35 pairs of twins had similarities in their temperament and taste. However, it was rare that they were similar in character and Galton concluded that although many twins differed in personality their base morals and values that contributed to their character were more similar.

1900s

Piaget developed his Cognitive Learning Theory in 1936, which suggests that children go through 4 separate stages of mental development. The first is the sensorimotor stage (from birth till 2 years old), then the preoperational stage (2-7 years old), thirdly the concrete operational stage (7-11 years old), and lastly the formal operational stage (starts around age 12 and lasts through into adulthood). Piaget’s Cognitive Learning Theory was significant in the nature vs nurture debate as it was the first theory in the debate to suggest that both nature and nurture have a role to play in shaping human development. The theory implies that as a child develops and matures both biological aspects and the environment has an impact on the child.

1900s

The 1900s was when several influential figures entered the nature vs nurture debate, who each brought new elements to both the nature and nurture sides.

In 1931 over 9 months Kellogg simultaneously raised Gua, an infant Chimpanzee alongside his 10-month-old son. The objective of the study was to see what similarities Gua and Kellogg’s son would develop while being treated the same and prove that nurture was dominant to nature. The outcome of the experiment was that Gua developed many human-like attributes including wearing shoes and walking upright. Kellogg’s chimp experiment proved that an animal could adapt and develop human like attributes supporting the nurture side of the debate.

Late 1900s & 2000s

Robert Plomin was an American Psychologist best known for the Twin Early Development Study which was a 2-year study from 1994 to 1996. The study investigated how environmental and genetics factors create differences in learning and cognitive abilities as well as in emotions and behaviours throughout development. The study was significant to the nature vs nurture debate as it showed that both genes and the environment contribute to different areas of child development.

The Human Genome Project started in 1990 was a project that lasted for 13 years with the purpose of mapping and understanding all genes in the human body. A major part of the project was scientists identifying and understanding the genes and then linking them to how they influence the characteristics of humans. This is also known as Epigenetics; the study of how human behaviours and surrounding environments influence genes. The Human Genome Project was significant in the nature vs nurture debate as it told us what influence genes have on human characteristics.

2000s

Intelligence Development

Intelligence Development

Intelligence Development is being able to learn knowledge falling under the categories of emotional and creative intelligence. While also learning how to change and adapt to the surrounding environment. In terms of Intelligence Development in Nature vs Nurture, twin studies show that a genetic basis for intelligence development is equally influenced by both nature and nurture. This finding further supports the theories from the 1900s that suggest both nature and nurture have an influence on human characteristics, and therefore have an influence on intelligence development.

Interactionist Ideas

Interactionist Ideas

Interactionist ideas are the theory of human interaction which focuses on relationships within society. Another part of the interactionist ideas is communication, and how people communicate significance through language and symbols, which links to looking at how people can make sense of the social world. An example of interactionism is the association people have seeing blue and red flashing lights to the police, when really there is no necessary relationship between the two things. In terms of nature vs nurture interactionist ideas is the view that human behavioural characteristics develop from the interaction with both nature and nurture and that both genetic and environmental factors influence human behavioural traits.

Evaluation

In conclusion the nature vs nurture debate has evolved and changed over hundreds of years with fair and convincing arguments on each side of the debate. From the classical period to the 1800s figures within the debate were set on either nature or nurture being dominant over the other, and there were no theories that included both nature and nurture. However, in the 1900s the first suggestions of the potential that both the environment and genetics have a role to play in human development and characteristics, which brought another side into the debate. Then by the 2000s the debate concluded that both nature and nurture influence human development and characteristics. Therefore, the nature vs nurture debate was one of the longest in psychology that made many breakthroughs in understanding humans, and why some have certain behaviours that others do not, and eventually the debate concluded on the matter that both nature and nurture have an influence on humans.

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