Download Nature vs. Nurture

Nature vs.
Nurture
 To
what extend are aspects of our
behaviour shaped by inherited
tendencies and to what extend are they
learned (shaped by experiences with the
world around us)?
Nature
 Refers
to traits that
we have
at birth or due to
natural tendencies.
Nurture
 Refers
to traits that
are
developed or
learned due to
the environment
(people, places,
etc) around us.
In some cases, it is easy to classify a trait –
Ie. Eye color is clearly a nature trait.
However, some traits are more difficult – Ie.
Certain aptitudes, such as mechanical
ability.
There are often nature and nurture
explanations for many traits.
Ie. It is clear that we are born with certain
intellectual abilities, but it has also been
proven that IQ can change due to a
stimulating environment.
 Nature
refers to our genes are heredity. We
inherited green eyes from mom and
freckles from dad.
 Nurture refers to the environment that we
grew up in. Studies on infant and child
temperament have revealed the most
crucial evidence for nurture theories.
 Nature endows us with inborn abilities and
traits…Nurture takes these genetic
tendencies and mold them as we learn
and mature
Questions to consider:
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If fraternal twins were raised the same…wouldn’t they
be identical in everyway?
Does aggression stem from innate tendencies or is it the
result of experiences ‘triggers’ in a current situation
Are the differences in females and males due to
biological factors, or mainly to the impact of
contrasting child-rearing experiences and society’s
beliefs about gender?
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How would nature/nurture explain:
Career choice
Temperament
Sexuality
Attention Span
Aggression
Nature vs. Nurture
The Debate-> Nature vs Nurture
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-D33oWiOEg
The Ghost in Your Genes
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEzW7LWr1Ws
Twin Separated at Birth on “The Hour”
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gwnzW4jOMI
BBC Documentary clip
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6hF3-obvnA