Question

Discussion # 1- Nature vs. Nurture

The biggest debate in psychology, seemingly, is the one about the origin of what makes us who we are. This debate is simply referred to as the 'Nature vs. Nurture' debate. The side of nature is what we are studying in this course, the biological influences and genetics that we come into this world with (what mom and dad gave us). The nuture side of things is simply the experiences we have in life, the friends and family, and how we were raised. It's obvious that it is a combination of these 2 elements, but what do you think that split might be and why?

For example, as a "neuro nerd", I believe the split is 80% biology/genes, and 20% environment. Not everybody feels that way, nor should they. What I would like you to do this week is to make an initial post stating what percent you think is biological and what percent is environment (50/50 maybe?) and why you think it is that way.

Answer 1

Nature and nurture debate in psychology has been very influential and it has brought in various highlights of the biological and environmental influences.

In order to completely understand this debate- it is required that the individual is studied in terms of a holistic combination rather than a separate entity. Every individual has its own biological orientation and a set of experiences that comes from the immediate environments. These factors of biology and the environment make the individual as a whole. There is a deep-rooted combination of these factors which is making a person think, behave, and feel in a certain way.

It is very difficult to demarcate an individual in the pursuit of how much percentage of nature and how much percentage of nurture.

• There are individual differences and within the individual, there are various experiences that keep on changing every day or in fact every second.
• ·People evolve with time and their development is shaped by nature as well as nurture. Sometimes nature becomes dominant and sometimes nurture.
• ·There is no standardized tool or research which can assertively say that the ratio [interms of influence] between nurture and nature is this much.
• To be on safer side. 50-50 would be a good probable number. This percentage tells that there is an equal chance of both nature and nurture to determine what a human is.