The Nature - Nurture Issue

Explain the concepts behind the Pro-nature and Pro-nurture perspectives.

The pro-nature perspective is based on the belief that people are born with certain traits and characteristics. The pro-nurture perspective is based on the belief people learn and develop traits through the environment and personal experience. The pro-nature perspective and pro-nurture prospective differ greatly arguing only one perspective can be correct. It is flawed to think a particular behavior is due to genetics or environment.

Why is it flawed to ask how much of a particular behavior is due to genetics and how much is due to experience?

According to J. Pinel (2009, p. 23), “Factors other than genetics and learning were shown to influence behavioral development; factors such as the fetal environment, nutrition, stress, and sensory stimulation also provided to be influential.” Asking how much a particular behavior is influenced by nature or nurture is like asking how much of a movie is portrayed by the actor and how much is portrayed by the screenwriter. They both play an influential role in determining the outcome of behavior. However, a particular trait may be the influence of environment or it may be inherited. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish one or the other as contributing more of an influence over the behavior.

Why is it appropriate to separate the contributions of genetics and experience when measuring the development of differences among individuals?

It is important to separate the contributions of genetics and experience to measure the development of differences. When trying to determine what is causing problems it is important to find out where the behavior comes from - environmental or genetics. If the issue is environmental, the way to treat the problem is by changing something within the environment. If the issue is linked to genetics, the problem may be corrected by medications which can retrain the neurons and connectors in the brain.

Reference

Pinel, J. P.J. (2009). Biopsychology. (7th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.