An Introduction to the Concepts ofAn Introduction to the Concepts of

Nature and NurtureNature and Nurture(Heredity / Environment)(Heredity / Environment)

Prepared and Presented Prepared and Presented ByBy

Lisa L. RobinLisa L. Robin

Activity- Plant #1Activity- Plant #1

What do you see?What do you see? Describe the characteristics of this Describe the characteristics of this

plant.plant. What is the make up of this plant?What is the make up of this plant? What has made this plant what it is?What has made this plant what it is? Were these characteristics Were these characteristics

determined or influenced by determined or influenced by heredity or the environment?heredity or the environment?

Activity – Plant # 2Activity – Plant # 2

How is this plant different from the How is this plant different from the first?first?

What factors may have lead to the What factors may have lead to the poor condition of this plant?poor condition of this plant?

Assuming they are identical twin Assuming they are identical twin plants, with the same genetic make-plants, with the same genetic make-up, what likely accounts for the up, what likely accounts for the difference in the plants?difference in the plants?

Nature and Nurture Nature and Nurture (Heredity/Environment)(Heredity/Environment)

Defined:Defined: Nature (Heredity)Nature (Heredity)

Traits, abilities, and capacities inherited Traits, abilities, and capacities inherited from ones parents through their genesfrom ones parents through their genes..

What we arrive with at birth.What we arrive with at birth. What we inherit biologically.What we inherit biologically.

Nurture (Environment)Nurture (Environment) Environmental influences that the world Environmental influences that the world

providesprovides SocialSocial BiologicalBiological

Examples of Examples of Hereditary and EnvironmentalHereditary and Environmental

InfluencesInfluences HereditaryHereditary

Eye and hair colorEye and hair color Body typeBody type GenderGender

EnvironmentalEnvironmental FamilyFamily PeersPeers SchoolSchool CultureCulture

Influenced from Influenced from bothboth IntelligenceIntelligence PersonalityPersonality General heathGeneral heath Physical Physical

strengthstrength WeightWeight DiseaseDisease

The Nature/Nurture DebateThe Nature/Nurture Debate

The The question over the extent to which question over the extent to which human behavior is determined by genetics human behavior is determined by genetics as opposed to the environmentas opposed to the environment..

A concept that runs through much of the A concept that runs through much of the study of psychology.study of psychology.

Has dominated much of the work in the Has dominated much of the work in the study of lifespan development.study of lifespan development.

The The Opposing ViewsOpposing Views:: The Strict The Strict Environmental Environmental

(Nurture)Position(Nurture)Position:: Our fate is Our fate is shaped by shaped by

life experienceslife experiences the the way clay is molded by a way clay is molded by a sculptor.sculptor.

We are heavily We are heavily influenced by influenced by learning, culture, learning, culture, nutrition, peer nutrition, peer groups, and critical groups, and critical life events.life events.

Infants are a blank Infants are a blank slateslate

The Strict The Strict Biological (Nature) Biological (Nature) PositionPosition:: Just as we are Just as we are

programmed to programmed to grow to a certain grow to a certain height, so too do height, so too do we have a genetic we have a genetic predisposition for predisposition for personality, personality, intelligence, and intelligence, and abilities.abilities.

Where does genetics Where does genetics come in?come in?

What are What are GenesGenes?? Molecules in DNA Molecules in DNA

that contain that contain instructions for the instructions for the building blocks of building blocks of lifelife..

They They contain a contain a biochemical “recipe” biochemical “recipe” written in codewritten in code that that make up and make up and govern govern the development of the development of an individual lifean individual life..

The Human Genome The Human Genome Project:Project:

In In 1990 an 1990 an international international consortium of consortium of scientistsscientists set out to set out to sequence the human sequence the human genome – the genome – the genetic blueprintgenetic blueprint for for making a complete making a complete human being.human being. All the DNA in an All the DNA in an

organismorganism

What’s all the excitement What’s all the excitement about?about?

The project was completed in 2001.The project was completed in 2001. It sequenced a blueprint or It sequenced a blueprint or “parts list” for “parts list” for

humans.humans. It determined that It determined that the genetic blueprint is the genetic blueprint is

nearly identical for all people around the world.nearly identical for all people around the world. We are all 99.9% the sameWe are all 99.9% the same in our genetic in our genetic

makeup. makeup.

It is now It is now possible to test an individual to possible to test an individual to see if they have a “defective part”see if they have a “defective part” in their in their DNA.DNA.

Related ControversiesRelated Controversies and and Questions:Questions:

HGPHGP Psychological Psychological

impact and impact and stigmatizationstigmatization

Reproductive issuesReproductive issues Uncertainties with Uncertainties with

gene testsgene tests Conceptual and Conceptual and

philosophical philosophical implicationsimplications

To what extent are To what extent are the following the following characteristics characteristics determined/influencedetermined/influenced by heredity and the d by heredity and the environment?environment? IntelligenceIntelligence PersonalityPersonality Sexual orientationSexual orientation Gender differencesGender differences Language Language

developmentdevelopment

The Interplay of Nature and The Interplay of Nature and Nurture:Nurture:

Genetic and environmental Genetic and environmental influences are not independent.influences are not independent. Our Our genetic make up influences the way genetic make up influences the way

people treat us.people treat us. This helps to create the kind of This helps to create the kind of

environment that we live in.environment that we live in. At birth At birth we have genetic predispositions we have genetic predispositions

but life experiences may either foster or but life experiences may either foster or inhibit their expressioninhibit their expression.. ExamplesExamples: intelligence, height: intelligence, height

So which has more So which has more influence on development, influence on development,

nature or nurture?nature or nurture? Developmental scientists and Developmental scientists and

psychologists agree that psychologists agree that both are both are essential and can not be framed in essential and can not be framed in either-or terms.either-or terms.

The environment influences heredity The environment influences heredity and heredity influences the and heredity influences the environment.environment.

Both sets of factors interact over the Both sets of factors interact over the course of an individual life.course of an individual life.

What Are What Are the Real Questions?the Real Questions?

How How much does much does eacheach factor factor contributecontribute??

In what ways do In what ways do they interactthey interact??

Can their Can their influences be influences be looked at looked at separatelyseparately??

To attempt To attempt to answer these to answer these questions researchersquestions researchers do do

various studies:various studies:

Family studiesFamily studies Twin studiesTwin studies Adoption Adoption

studiesstudies

ConclusionsConclusions on the on the Subject:Subject:

All All people are basically the same geneticallypeople are basically the same genetically.. People are People are likely predisposedlikely predisposed in some ways in some ways byby

their their genetic make upgenetic make up.. People are People are also influenced by their also influenced by their

environment.environment. Environmental factors influence genetic Environmental factors influence genetic

expressionexpression.. BothBoth heredity and the environment heredity and the environment play play

essential roles in human developmentessential roles in human development.. Debates exist over the degreeDebates exist over the degree to which each is to which each is

influential.influential.