Essay on Behavior Nature vs. Nurture - 1776 Words

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 he r 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 childs 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 individuals eyes will be green or brown, and if a persons 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 persons 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 toShow MoreRelatedNature Vs. Nurture : Human Behavior1453 Words   |  6 Pagesa human’s behavior is determined by genes is ridiculous. Human behavior is not genetically pre-determined; rather, it is a result of environmental influences. The influences we surround ourselves with is how we are going conduct yourself. Humans are influenced by other humans. Our behavior is determined by who we want to be like and look up too and that has nothing to do with our genes. A human’s behavior is by choice not inherited. Many people argue over this topic nature vs. nurture. AccordingRead MoreHuman Behavior: Nature vs. Nurture Essay1733 Words   |  7 Pageshave argued the Nature versus Nurture debate for decades. This debate is about the degree to which our environment and heredity, affects our behavior and developmental stages. According to this debate, nature can be described as, the behavior of a person is occurring because of their genetic makeup. Since the behavior of a person is due to their genetic makeup, then, it (nature) should also influence a person’s growth and development for the duration of their life. However, the nurture side of the debateRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : An Individual s Criminal Behavior Essay1753 Words   |  8 Pageswhether it is nature or nurture who plays the most vital role in a human’s behavior, specifically an individual’s criminal behavior. Criminal behavior is defined as an act or failure to act in a way that violates public law. Some bel ieve that criminal behavior can be identified as early as conception, meaning that criminal behavior is because of your genes. While others believe that one’s upbringing and social learning environment directly contributes to the individual’s criminal behavior. This paperRead MoreNature vs. Nurture: Analyzing Violent Behavior Amongst Australian Aboriginals2851 Words   |  11 PagesNature Versus Nurture Australian Aboriginal Violent Behavior Introduction There is much controversy with regard to aboriginal Australians and their tendency to employ violence in particular circumstances. Society in general is inclined to put across discriminatory attitudes toward aboriginal communities on account of their failure to integrate in the presumably civilized world. The fact that violent acts occur with a greater prevalence in indigenous circles indicates that individuals in theseRead MoreNature vs. Nurture1117 Words   |  5 PagesThe nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in sociology (Davidson, 1991, n.p.). The debate centers on the relative contributions of genetics and environmental factors to human behavior (Davidson, 1991, n.p.). Today, the majority of experts believe that behavior and development are influenced by both nature and nurture (Macionis, 2009, p. 73). The biggest question now is which one affects human development more: nature or nurture? According to Macionis (2009, p. 72), in the pastRead MoreNature vs Nurture: Do Genes Or Environment Matter More? Essay1300 Words   |  6 PagesNature versus nurture has emerged as one of the most heated debates in the 21st century. It is more aligned towards the internal and external factors that comprise human beings behavior. The internal factors are innate and perceived to be genetically revolved as opposed to the external factors that are influenced by the environment and individuals’ experiences. However, scholars in different fields have researched on the relationship between nature and nurture without due success and this has createdRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : Addiction1102 Words   |  5 Pages Nature vs. Nurture: Addiction Introduction Psychology is a developing science which studies the mental functions, processes, and behaviors of an individual. In the science of psychology, many debates arise; nature vs. nurture is one of the most popular ones. These psychological debates are followed by research, backing up either nature or nurture or both. Nature suggest heredity impacts human psychological development; nurture suggests the environment impacts our psychologicalRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture Debate878 Words   |  4 Pages are personalities and traits produced by genetics or shaped by the environment? Or, is there a relationship between nature and nurture with regards to child development? The debate continues. While some believe â€Å"nature and nurture work together, others believe they are separate and opposing influences† (McDevitt, 2010). Nature vs Nurture In regards to the nature vs. nurture debate, â€Å"this debate is a major issue in many social science disciplines and is concerned with the influence that biologyRead MoreNature vs Nurture, a Not Quite a Twin1684 Words   |  7 PagesNature vs Nurture A Not Quite Twin Study Tamara Richardson Seminole State College of Florida Abstract This paper is going to discuss the Nature vs Nurture debate. There will be history of the debate, where it is presently and where it may go in the future. We will look at the beginning of the debate, the battle that started with Descartes and was pushed further by BF Skinner, Bandura and Piaget. We will further look at Bandura and Piaget and look at Social learning theory verses biology. InterviewsRead MoreNature vs. Nurture: Parents or Environment Essay example571 Words   |  3 Pagesunderstand, thus making the topic of nature vs. nurture extremely controversial. The debates always show that nature and nurture contrast but then there may be evidence that suggest that the two are linked and a person is actually an enigma characterized by the mixture of predisposed genetics and environmental influences. The idea that nature and nurture are joined is great to oppose nativists, people on the nature side, and empiricists, people sided with nurture. As mentioned before, the topic is