Abstract This paper, written from the writer's personal point of view, examines the centuries old debate of nature vs. nurture by focusing on 4-year-old fraternal twins. The writer of this paper defines nature as things that are genetically inherent in certain people. Nurture is referred mainly to the care given to children by their parents, any environmental, not genetic, factor as well as one's childhood friends, one's early experiences with television and one's experience in the womb. This paper details the various results attained by the research done on the twins. The writer cites the differences and similarities in the twins which were observed. The writer contends that the nature vs. nurture debate looks into why people are different and seems to assume that those differences can make people more or less desirable.
From the Paper "The nature versus nurture debate looks into why people are different and seems to assume that those differences can make people more or less desirable. One example is intelligence. The assumption appears to be that having an extremely intelligent child is better than having a child of average or below-average intelligence. However, intelligence is only one characteristic of a person. The less intelligent child may be much kinder, funnier, outgoing, and altruistic than the more intelligent child. Instead of looking into why people are different, nature or nurture, I think I will concentrate on celebrating the diversity that exists in humanity, whether there by nature or nurture. While both twins were extremely different, I cannot say that either one was better than the other one."
Tags: research, twins, nature, nurture, care, personality, trait, fraternal, identical, study
Abstract This paper explores how human and embryonic cloning has and will affect our understanding of the nature vs. nurture debate. The paper points out that cloning does not produce individuals identical in personality to the original.
From the Paper "The longstanding controversy over nature vs. nurture is being brought into focus by the introduction of human cloning. In the original debate one faction claimed that a person's nature-heredity and personality-was more important..."
Tags:nature, nurture, cloning, genetic determinism, social determinism
Abstract Nature vs. nurture has been a long-standing debate since the 17th century and refers to the degrees in which a person's natural human experiences influence a persons' physical and behavioural traits as opposed to environmental influences. This paper looks into a variety of different theories from different fields of psychology, from cognitive to biological and developmental and critically assesses the issues involved.
From the Paper "Ideas from a biological theory has advanced and evolved from many years, and will probably continue. Research has proved that sex hormones are a cause of our behaviour but according to a book by Gisela Kaplan and Lesley J Rogers 'Gene Worship' proves otherwise. They state that the brain controls the amount of sex hormones secreted into the blood. Most of the times at a stable range but from time to time these vary, especially at different times of the day for women, allowing sex hormones through the blood fairy quickly. Stress and experiences has an affect on the brains control of these hormone levels altering levels of Luteinizing Hormone and Follicle Hormone released from the pituitary gland, proving that sex hormones in the blood can change in response to the external environment. "
Abstract A look at how human gender roles are decided. The paper discusses the issues surrounding gender roles and whether these are chosen by nature, culture or society. The roles of men and women may be consistany with cultural stereotypes gender roles, however, today the sex that a baby is born with is not necesarily the same sex that he/she remains.
From the Paper The first question that is asked when a human baby is born is "Is it a boy or a girl?" The answer to this question is enormously important in human cultures. With that definition of "femaleness" or "maleness" comes an entire set of assumptions about how the child will look and act in her culture. It is also thought to be final - a child that is born a girl will remain female forever, while a boy will remain a boy until he is a man. It is taken for granted that the child's sex will..."
Abstract This paper discusses the character and nature of relationships between people who are considered intimate. The quality in these intimate relationships that leads people to seemingly ignore or completely not recognize negative behaviour in their partners is examined with respect to developmental psychology and the process of learning to establish relationships throughout one's life.
From the Paper "An abundance of literature exists that reveals that relationships and the individuals involved in them typically turn a blind eye to reality. This is found to be true both from a cognitive aspect where the viewpoint is commonly held that people in relationships do not often see what others might see regarding their partners, as well as from a academic viewpoint where research supports the colloquial adage that, "love is blind," so to speak. Gagne and Lydon purport that, "In general, the perception that one's relationship is consistent with one's ideals appears to foster higher perceptions of relationship quality (2004, p.322). The import is that individuals in these intimate relationships are inclined; that is, biased, to ignore or downplay negative behaviours as they are manifested in their partner in the intimate relationship. Perhaps the explanation for this willingness to overlook or simply ignore the negative behaviours of the intimate partner has less to do with any sort of bias developed within one or the other partner and more to do with the degree of emotional investment that one or the other partners has committed towards the relationship and, indirectly, the individual."
Abstract This paper explains that the nature-nurture controversy is the continuing debate over whether the individual's various traits and characteristics are influenced more by inborn factors, or nature, or by cultural influences and other aspects of experience, or nurture. The author points out that, today, scientists view human development as a combination of nature and nurture, while the British philosopher, John Locke, in the 1690s, suggested that the human infant is like a blank slate, or "tabula rasa", on which experience in the form of human learning writes messages on the infant's unformed mind. The paper relates that Sigmund Freud's theory of development states that human development is the product of both internal urges and external conditions, particularly children's sexual and aggressive urges, and how parents handle them.
From the Paper "Many professions have solicited the assistance of psychologists in trying to predetermine the psyche of potential persons for areas such as employment and placement. The legal profession has sought out psychologists on both sides to prove their theories of the mental abilities, behavior explanations or predictions of behavior of a defendant or plaintiff. "Society has let the pendulum swing wildly back from nurture to nature, leaving behind a number of bewildered social scientist. Yet we still love to phrase everything in terms of one influence or the other, rather than both." In the educational profession, understanding the balance or affect of both nature and nurture is essential to designing an effective plan for each pupil's advancement."
Abstract This paper examines the nature versus nurture debate. The paper illustrates the differences in interpretations of this debate, by discussing theories developed by Freud, Erikson and Darwin. The paper contends that although much progress has been made through scientific research on such things as genetics (especially with regard to identical twin studies), there is still much that is unknown. The paper assesses that the truth lies somewhere in the middle of the nature/nurture continuum. The paper agrees that there is evidence in support of both sides of the issue.
Outline
A Brief Introduction
Human Nature and Personality
Intellectual Development
Social Development
Conclusion
From the Paper "For hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, people have wondered just what role "nature," or one's inherent traits from birth, and "nurture," or the role one's environment (physical, cultural, social, and familial) plays in one's physical and psychological identity. In modern times, especially since the discovery of genetics and DNA, this has become even more of a question for debate and study. Although there have been many differing interpretations of the nature vs. nurture question, the two extremes that are commonly cited are represented by the Darwinian Theory (nature), and the Freudian Theory (nurture). Although the complete truth regarding the issue is far but definitively decided, many today in science, psychology, anthropology and medicine believe the issue is far more complex than any one theory. However, as science progresses, it has become clear that the "nature" aspect of human development is far stronger than previously suspected."
Abstract Using Thomas Harris' thriller "Red Dragon", this paper discusses whether psychopaths and serial killers are born or made. The paper describes traits of serial killers, uses examples from the novel and examples from experts in the field of psychology as part of the discussion of this issue about nature vs. nurture.
From the Paper "A central question implicit in Thomas Harris' thriller "Red Dragon" is whether serial killers or psychopaths are born or made. What plays the largest role in pathological criminal acts, nature or nurture or a combination of both? The controversy of nature versus nurture is based on definitions of human behavior as evolving from two opposing theories. Nurture theorists contend that behavioral development is learned and that deviant or criminal behavior is based in cognitive behavior that begins with child rearing. Nature theorists on the other hand contend that behavioral..."
Abstract This paper discusses the tensions that have been seen between explanations of personality involving nature or nurture, between innate characteristics that may shape personality and experiences that may shape the psychology of the individual over time. This is an example of the long standing debate over the mind body problem as well though it by no means solves that issue which relates to whether the personality is at least partially physical or only mental and whether the mental can be differentiated from the brain that holds.
Abstract This paper discusses the role of the Enlightenment movement regarding feminism. The paper explains that the status of nature in Enlightenment thinking regarding gender was rather unsteady. Nature was used to prop up arguments both for and against feminism, being used to justify both the subservient state of women and the need they had for more liberty and respect. The paper contends that the ultimate contribution of Enlightenment thinking to the status of women, however, was not in its views on gender or on male-female relationships. The contribution for which this era and even its more misogynistic thinkers must be thanked by modern women's rights movements, is that they created the very concept of individual rights and liberties based on the natural reason of mankind. It was the role that Nature played in the understanding of rights and liberties that eventually led to the idea that women, too, had natural rights.
From the Paper "The Enlightenment was defined by its focus on rationality. During this era, the mysticism and superstition of the medieval era were abandoned for the idea that the world was an orderly and rational place. God, if He existed, was not an arbitrary and capricious nobodaddy, as he may have been seen in previous years. On the contrary, He (or It) was seen as the great clockmaker, a mechanic who engineered the world according to divine law and order. According to some, natural law was seen as so important that nature and God were found to be one, and a monistic impression of the world suggested that the natural was all of the divine. In many ways, this focus on natural law led to a liberalization of ancient prejudices. The superiority of hereditary rulers was challenged by evidence from nature that all men had equal and inalienable rights to self-determination; the domination of the church was questioned by evidence from science and nature."
Abstract An examination of which environmental factors may influence the development of one's personality or whether these traits are a product of one's upbringing. The paper looks at various factors and concludes that both nature and nurture are jointly responsible for the outcome.
From the Paper "It has been a long controversy about how nature and nurture imply to personality traits and human behavior. Nature means that genetic factor and the system of organs control the personality, while nurture means the personality is a result of conditioned circumstances where a person is brought up. It includes the personality of other people, like family, includes the teaching, and lessons a child gains during his/her mental development process."
Abstract This paper examines bias in the media. The paper investigates media ownership, the content of news and entertainment broadcasts, and the relationship between media influence and public opinion, in order to assess the extent of the ideological bias in the media. The paper then analyzes which factors have contributed to media bias in the United States and its effects.
From the Paper "Ideological Bias in the Media: An Analysis Accurately assessing the extent of ideological bias in the media requires investigating media ownership, the content of news and entertainment broadcasts, and the relationship between media influence and public opinion. In recent years, corporate media conglomeration, deregulation, and declining journalistic standards have significantly increased ideological media bias in the United States, which has had a devastating effect on participatory democracy. Media ownership is more concentrated than ever before and serious coverage and debate of public issues such as war, taxes, corporate crime, education, political corruption, and pollution is disappearing right before our eyes."
Abstract This essay examines the nature\nurture debate as it is applied to personality development. The author compares the perspectives held by Freud and Adler, Freud believing that personality is a result of biology and Adler believing in environmental factors as playing a major role. The author analyzes the above perspectives and proposes ways to accommodate the two.
From the Paper "So it can be seen in the above essay that while Freud believed that heredity had the most influence in the formation of personality, Adler placed far greater importance on the role that the individual plays in personality formation. The essay also shows current thinking seems to have reverted back towards Freud's view and that more emphasis has been placed on heredity. This can be seen in the following quote from Plomin: "Ask not what is heritable, ask what is not heritable (Plomin: 1989: p108)."
Abstract This paper looks at the use of salt in our diets and how it is not merely a matter of essential health, but also of taste. The paper then relates the need and taste for salt to the nature/nurture issue, explaining why the body requires salt and how the taste for salt could have developed as a result of both genetics and environment.
From the Paper "Salt is the world's oldest known food addative. It is an essential nutrient for both human beings and animals, since it is necessary for life and health, but is not produced within the body. A human body contains about 250 grams of salt. Salt aids in the transmission of nerve impulses to and from the brain, and also the contraction of muscles, including the heart. Apart form health issues, a number of functions are fulfilled by salt regarding food. It brings out the taste in foods and reduces blandness. It reduces the sourness of acid and increases the sweetness of sugar (Salt Manufacturers' Association, UK). The taste of food is thus generally improved through this additive. Other fuctions of cooking include salt used a s a preservative, a texture aid, a binder, for fermention control and as a color developer."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that when Kate Chopin wrote 'The Awakening', several themes were popular in literature. One of these was naturalism, or the belief that natural forces, such as heredity, environment and physical and emotional drives motivate people to act as they do. The writer points out that "The Awakening" includes numerous examples of how naturalism impacts character Edna Pontellier's values, thoughts and actions. More importantly, the book shows what happens when one's natural inclinations conflict with an awakening of unconventional and "unnatural" desires. The writer relates that ironically, it is the sea, a true part of nature, which carries Edna away for the very last time and allows her to disappear forever from her internal conflicts. The writer concludes that in the end, according to Chopin, nature wins.
From the Paper "In Victorian times, women were primarily recognized as mothers and wives or, as in The Awakening, even possessions of their husband. In several instances, the book's characters confirm this role. For example, in an early scene, Mr. Pontellier criticizes Edna for not attending her sick child and worries that she is not a proper mother. Although these demands on women are part of the patriarchal society, they are based on the belief that women bear the children in the human species and have, or should have, an innate need to nurture and protective their children."
"Edna is a complex character who has many sides to her nature. Part of her recognizes the need, in fact is inwardly driven, to be a good mother."
