Unit 2: Nature vs. Nurture Unit 2: Nature vs. Nurture Now that we have covered the foundations of Psychology, its history, and scientific methods of investigation, we are ready to begin discussing our theme for the course – You!! Why are you who you are?
Why Are You Who You Are?
What drives your decisions? Your thoughts? Your behaviors? Why do people act the way they do? If you ask most people about this, they respond with blank stares. It is a tough question. It is also a question that is central to Psychology – what makes people think and act?? So, where should we begin? Let’s start with a thought exercise.
Let's say scientists managed to create a child-clone of you. Do you think that the clone would be EXACTLY like you when it grew up? How would the clone be similar to you? How would the clone be different? Why would the clone be different? Please take a minute to think about and answer these questions before continuing…
If you thought something like "The clone would be like me because it would have similar DNA, similar genes" then you thought about the influence of inborn and biological factors on growth and development. If you thought something like "The clone would be different because it would be influenced by different friends, different teachers, different technologies, a different society, etc.," then you thought about the effects of environmental, situational, and non-biological factors on growth and development. So, which drives behavior and development? Is it nature, the inborn and biological factors, or is it nurture, the experiential and environmental factors? The Nature vs. Nurture debate (also known as the Heredity vs. Environment debate) is one of psychology's biggest issues. Of more personal importance, it is also at the root of our question, "Why are you who you are?" Why are you shy? Why do you like sports, or computers, or science, or skydiving? Why are some people risk takers while others avoid taking risks? Is it because of genetics or life experiences?
As you might have guessed, the answer is that both nature and nurture matter. People born with brain dysfunctions may not have the necessary brain structures or physiology to learn to perform complex tasks - much like computers missing necessary processing components - regardless of the learning experiences life offers. Clearly, genetics influences the "hardware" we come with and how well our hardware works. On the flip side, people born with fully functioning brains will not learn to do various things (play the piano, read, write, add, speak a foreign language) unless life provides the appropriate learning experiences. Clearly, our life experiences influence what we know, what we become good at, and how we think. So the question is not "Is it nature or nurture that drives development?" but rather "How much of each?" In this section you will learn about the interaction of nature and nurture in the development of intelligence and the formation of personality.
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ou might be surprised to learn that nature plays a large role in determining your personality and cognitive abilities. So we must ask, "Aside from insuring that the child is cared for, does parenting even matter?" The answer is an overwhelming YES! Throughout the course you will see that social, situational, and environmental influences also influence who we become and how we behave.
One clear example of how nurture can affect the development of our mental environment involves attachment. We all have attachments. Some of us are attached to our pets, or our cars. Younger children are often attached to stuffed animals or soft blankets. For our purposes, we will define attachment as an emotional tie with another person. More specifically, we are interested in the emotional bond between the child and the primary caregiver...usually (but not necessarily) the mother.
About 70% of children form secure attachments with their primary caregiver. Securely attached children develop a basic trust in the world and come to believe that they can gain some control over their environment – they learn that the world is predictable and reliable. Because of this, securely attached children explore the world more actively, address more curiosities, and consequently develop better problem-solving skills. Children who form secure attachments are also more likely to develop social competence. They are more likely to become cooperative and obedient (in a good way that signifies trust in the caregiver), have better peer relationships later in life, and are less likely to engage in deviant behavior. Securely attached children are also more likely to form other secure and trusting attachments later in life.
Insecurely attached children do not develop a basic trust in the world. This can inhibit the child's curiosity and motivation to explore the world. Because the child loses opportunities to actively learn about the world, problem-solving skills develop more slowly. Children who form insecure attachments are more likely to show fearful and clingy attachments or avoid attachments later in life (we'll return to this idea when we discuss Love and Emotion). Such children are more likely to engage in deviant behavior as teenagers or adults, develop behavioral problems, and spend time in jail.
So, how does nurturance affect attachment?
At first, researchers used to believe that nutrition and survival were at the root of attachment. The idea was that babies formed attachments to their mothers because their mothers served as the primary source of food and consequently, survival. This idea lasted until Harry Harlow published his famous research. Harlow, who worked in a primate lab, noticed that his monkeys had formed attachments to the blankets that were put in their cages to serve as bedding. When the lab maid went to change the blankets, the monkeys would throw a fit. "How can this be," Harlow thought, "The blankets do not provide any nourishment..." Intrigued, Harlow conducted a study using two monkey mannequins. Harlow's research showed that baby monkeys preferred a softer cloth mannequin that did not provide any nourishment to a chicken-wire mannequin that was equipped with a bottle. The baby monkeys formed such strong attachments to the cloth mannequin that they would go to great lengths to maintain contact with it when they tired to drink from the wire mannequin. Clearly, comforting contact was important to the baby monkeys. Since then researchers have gone on to show that physical contact is an important determinant of human attachment. Parents who cuddle their children regularly are more likely to have children who form secure attachments.
Parental responsiveness also affects attachment. Children of parents who regularly respond to their needs are more likely to form secure attachments. Such parents not only respond to their child's cries and concerns, but do so appropriately...feeding the child when hungry, changing the child when wet, and so on. Children of parents who regularly fail to respond to their child's needs are more likely to form insecure attachments. Such parents may ignore their child's cries and concerns, or respond inappropriately...by force-feeding the child when it really needs a diaper change, for example.
What about people who formed insecure attachments...or people who did not receive optimal parenting when they were young? Are these folks doomed to the miseries associated with insecure attachments? Well…no. Although there can be lasting effects, there are other environmental factors that can influence development. And of course, nature and nurture interact. Remember, we are a product of both our genes and influential environmental factors. Let's consider this nature/nurture interaction further.
People's nature can affect their nurture...that is, genetic factors can influence the environmental factors people choose for themselves. For example, some people are predisposed to tanning while others sunburn more easily, causing some to seek sunny experiences while others avoid them. As another example, my dad loves the cold weather and hates the warm weather...why? It is probably because of the biological mechanisms that govern his temperature-regulation system. Many other people, however, dislike cold weather and enjoy vacationing in warmer weather. Let's also consider stories about twins separated at birth and reunited in adulthood. They arrive at the reunion wearing similar clothes, driving similar cars, with similar jobs, and living in similar climates. Does our biology influence our self-chosen environments? Perhaps. Let's discuss one more example. I am about 5' 5." Clearly, I am not exposed to the same environmental factors as a professional basketball player…I'm just too short. In fact, I gave up basketball early on - another clear case of how genetic factors limit the environmental and situational factors that I expose myself to.
Temperament provides another example. Temperament is a child’s inborn emotional excitability and serves as the early basis for personality. As you might expect, it is harder for parents to be appropriately responsive and sensitive to highly reactive or difficult children than more easygoing children. This is a case where nature (child's temperament) can influence nurture (parental responses, frustrations, and sensitivities) quite literally. So does parenting really matter? Well, sure, but to some extent it depends on how sensitive the child is to parental influences.
We should also point out that nurture could affect nature. That's right - environmental factors can alter biological factors. One example involves abusive or highly stressful and prolonged situations. When we are faced with stressful situations our bodies react by releasing hormones and brain chemicals to help us cope. When our body requires the extended use of such hormones and chemicals, our physiology adapts by altering the normal levels of such chemicals or by altering brain structures. In essence, environmental factors (e.g., prolonged stressful situations) alter biological factors (e.g., brain structures and chemical levels). Evolutionary theory provides us with another example of how environmental factors can influence genetic factors. Basic evolutionary theory suggests that animals' bodies change across generations as species adapt to their environment. For example, aquatic animals developed webbed feet, fins, gills, and underwater hearing and sonar systems so that they can maneuver and communicate in water. Humans have developed feet for traveling on the ground and a keen sense of hearing that works well when messages are communicated in an air environment. So, you can see that nature and nurture truly interact, and both play a role in determining who we are.
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Weblinks - Just For Fun
If you want to explore a bit more (but you don't have to, it is not required), then check out these web links:
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Lesson Tasks
Complete the following tasks in the order listed below.
1. Watch and take notes on PsykTrek Learning Module 7d: Heredity, Environment, and Intelligence
2. Read Modules 6, 7, & 33 in the Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
3. Take the related ANGEL quiz. This quiz is to reward you for reading and thinking about Psychology. The quiz contains questions about both the reading and embedded activities and demonstrations. This is an OPEN book and notes quiz. You may use your notes and eText to help you. You MAY NOT use help from friends or other people. Getting help from, or assisting, others on this quiz will violate Academic Integrity and will be punished accordingly.
4. Do what you need to do so that you have a proctor in place for the first exam. The first exam will contain 75 multiple-choice questions.
5. Take a look at the Exam 1 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
If you have any questions regarding the content of this unit, please contact your instructor.