Nature versus Nurture Essay

In this case, the genetic makeup is affected by biological factors. Nurture on the other hand is influenced by the external factors that we encounter from the time of conception. History of the concept nature versus nurture This debate focuses on effects of genes on human personalities as it is opposed to the impact the environment and development have on an individual from the time of conception. The understanding of this debate has been viewed differently as the cultures of various communities change from time to time (Kong, et al. The idea, for example in the early 1960s, was mainly influenced by theories that explained the changes in human behavior. The genetic make-up of our biological parents affects other physical characteristics of our bodies.

A positive correlation between height, life expectancy and vulnerability to specific illnesses, hair loss, and weight in different personnel. The facts have led to the belief that before we are born, the psychological characteristics including personal attributes, mental abilities and behavioral tendencies we possess them before we are even born (Fildes, et al. Nativists are individuals who adopt hereditary position in an extreme manner. They assume that the characteristics of human species are as a result of evolution and a person’s unique genetic code is as a result of individual differences. It includes the kind of love and the attention the infant received from the caregiver. The degree of stimulation in the environment affects the cognitive development. Bowlby theory of attachment is an example of extreme nature position in psychology (Fildes, et al.

The theory states that between the mother and an infant, there is a process involved which ensures the infant survives. We acquire language by the use of the device in a native language, in accordance to Chomsky (1965) suggestions. Q of the white people was slightly higher than those of the blacks due to the genetic composition (Fildes, et al. Human society can be improved by “better breeding,” according to Galton. A campaign was conducted by the American Eugenics, in which the sterilized men and females in the psychiatric hospitals. The score of different ethnic races is as a result of biases in the method of testing, according to the environmentalists. They also believe that social inequalities in accessing resources and opportunities result in differences in intellectual abilities.

How nature and nurture affect mental health The development of some mental health conditions such as bipolar, depression or schizophrenia shows that it is a factor that leads to such problems. Some of these conditions are inherited, and they depend on the family’s history of the situation. Even though nature is a factor in genetic factors, we cannot deny the negative part of it. For example, if a twin develops depression, this means that there is a 50% chance that the other twin kid will have the same problem an indication that even though nature plays an important role, it is not the only contributing factor. On the hand, the probability of a person to develop illness depends on the environmental factors (nurture).

Genes modulation of the environmental influences and vice versa interests many researchers in the world of today. Advantages and disadvantages of the concept Nature and Nurture 1. Advantages The approach nature versus nurture has provided the support of the debate of the natural side of the approach (Coll & Lerner, 2014). It has shown how both the phenomena interact with one another. This interaction indicates that none of the concepts can exist on its own, without the support of the other. This interaction is determined by factors such as heredity traits, and the climatic factors. It shows that the two are dependent on each other. The theory has suggested various ways of dealing with diseases, that is from the origin of the disease. Therefore, the approach nature versus nurture, as it has discussed, is of great importance.