D1 – Analyse the significance of genetic influence as opposed to social factors in human development.
Nature is that which is inherited or genetic and nurture is how we are brought up in our environment, including personal experiences in life. Nature is the biological genes that are passed down from the parents whereas nurture is the environment such as wealth and education passed down to the genetic offspring. Genetic factors are part of nature as they are innate through the genes from their parents, for example cystic fibrosis which is when there is faulty genes and also down syndrome is when they have an extra gene. Social factors are more of an individual’s development for example the society, education and the status of the family a child is brought up in will affect their development.
Nurture
Nurture theory holds that theory that genetic influence over abstract traits may exist. However the environmental factors are the real origins of our behaviour. Although it’s true that fraternal twins raised apart have similarities in most aspects, still the intervention of the environment has caused several differences in the way they behave.
Nature
The coding of genes in each cell in us humans determine the different traits that we have, more dominantly on the physical attributes like eye colour, hair colour, ear size, height and other traits. It is still not known whether the more abstract attributes like personality, intelligence, sexual orientation, likes and dislikes are gene coded in DNA.
Behavioural genes are somewhat proven to exist when we take a look at fraternal twins. When fraternal twins are apart, they show similar behaviour and response as if they have been reared together.
Influences of nature and nurture on human development
Nature is responsible for the growth of a person from a fetus level until development into a normal adult. The genetic makeup of a human being is responsible for their sex, skin colour, colour of their eyes and hair as well as distinguishing features which are inherited. Nature can only assist in the growth of the fetus into a normal well-developed adult who may have inherited some special talents. It can be concluded that nature uses the genetic coding to help in physical development and does impart some positive and negative traits to an individual. However, it is nurture which can be utilized to improve positive traits and diminish the effect on negative traits in a child. Overall behaviour is influenced a great deal by nurture or upbringing and the environmental factors involved in the upbringing. In society most parents encourage their children to take part in extra curriculum activities like learning music, dance or sports in accordance with the child’s talents and interests. The talents have been given by nature but can only be developed into skills through the hard work of nurture.
Nurture plays a big role in early development. Nurture speeds up an individual’s capacity to learn and study new things. There is a common saying that ‘practise makes perfect’. Therefore an individual can improve knowledge by practising to adapt to all creations in these circumstances or environment.
Nature is responsible for the normal development of the fetus into a normal and healthy infant, but it cannot entirely develop that fetus into an intelligent, knowledgeable or athletic adult. This is possible only through the exposure that nurture gives a person. Therefore, it could be correct to say that although that nature has some degree of influence, nurture strongly influences early human development.