...Epigentics vs Nature vs Nurture Santina Wood ENG101 Argosy University 03/4/2014 Instructor Benjamin Atkins Epigenetics -vs- Nature -vs- Nurture The nature vs nurture debate is still ongoing, and within this debate, the world of science and psychology are faced with two new questions. Today we find some researchers asking; "Is development predetermined at birth, by hereditary factors, or do experience and other environ -mental factors affect it?", and "Can the two work together in shaping human development and behavior?" Developmental psychologists still attempt to find the answers to these questions in order to discover the sources of growth in children's cognitive, language, and social skills. Most developmental psychologists believe that nature and nurture combine to influence biological factors playing a stronger role in some aspects, such as physical development, and environmental factors playing a stronger role in others, such as moral development. They are also beginning to acknowledge the role of a variable combination of both inborn factors and social experiences when explaining children's behavior. Scientists and Psychologists have a name for such an occurrence; epigenetics/epigenesis. In this essay, I will be presenting to my audience information on this highly, and sometimes heated debate, as well as the reasons as to why the belief of this dual influence called epigenetics is becoming more fact than theory. For...
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...PSY 210 Week 1 - Discussion Questions #1 What are some of the ways that psychologists attempt to explain human behavior? One of the major debates within the field of psychology is the degree to which nature versus nurture shapes human behaviors and traits. What comprises our nature? How would you define nurture? How would you describe the interaction between genetic potential, environmental influences, and personal choice? In your opinion, is biology destiny? Explain why or why not. Most psychologists try to explain human behavior through the study of nature vs. nurture, or the study of one’s genetic make-up and their environment and how much each affects personality and behavior. Nature: can be described as a person’s biological construction or blue print that may have some influence and explain an individual’s behavior. It is thought that some of a person’s genetic make-up dictates certain traits that an individual will have like their disposition, personality traits, disabilities, aggressiveness, whether they may are introverted or extroverted, etc. which can all influence the behavior that an individual might have. Nurture: can be described as the environmental factors that can influences and individual’s personality and behavior. Environmental factors can be familial influences, influence of friends, the neighborhood in which a person lives, their living arrangements, experiences, and much more. “It appears that genetic factors are involved in nearly...
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...Running head: NATURE VS. NURTURE/CULTURE The Ongoing Debate of Nature vs. Nurture/Culture Psychology 3520 Social Psychology Abstract In compiling information from our class text and a variety of journals in the Capella library, I have come up with some interest notions on the age old controversy of nature vs. nurture. Biologists declare nature as an innate trait given to all human being (e.g., reflexes and primary needs). Which makes us consider, is this all there is to human development? Is there something else at work? Are there other factors that play a key role in our development? At this turn we must consider nurture/culture. We as human beings are born into societies with all sorts of set norms, social structures and attitudes that manipulate the way in which we develop. The question we will be looking at is which one of these, nature or nurture has the most significant role in our overall development. Or is there yet still something else to add to the pot. Some say there are dimensions that intersect and work in conjunction with one another to form who we are as humans being. Viktor Frankl (1967) noted that the person lives in three interpenetrating dimensions: soma (the physical body), psyche (the emotions and intellect), and the noëtic (the soul). The noëtic dimension includes free will, responsibility, choice, spirituality, and the unique meaning capacity of Homo sapiens. Is it time to reinvent the wheel: Nature, Nurture and Noetic? Introduction The...
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...factors involved in the formation of gender identity. Gender identity is not completely understood as it is much more complex than the joining of a sperm and an egg. For many people, the terms “gender” and “sex” are interchangeable. Biological sex and gender are different; gender is not inherently connected to one’s physical anatomy as biological sex is. When one thinks’ of the term “gender”, we are referring to the role and personalities one assumes within society, for example in American culture females tend to be perceived as more nurturing and males are aggressive and dominant. Hormones and behavior affect gender identity in significant ways each with a distinct purpose. To understand the difference of biological sex and gender, nature versus nurture, and how the environment has an effect this paper will review and explain the interactions between hormones and behaviors and how those interactions affect the determination of gender identity. Gender development starts at the point one is conceived. Gender identity is defined as an individual’s self conception of being either male or female, as distinguished from actual biological sex (Britannica, 2013). Gender differences exist in nearly every social phenomena and for most persons, gender identity and biological characteristics are the same however there are some circumstances in which some individuals experience little or no connection between sex and gender (Britannica, 2013). Starting at birth, gender expectations influence...
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...Nature vs. Nurture There is an issue that has been conferred upon by philosophers in the past and still so by scientists today. This issue is whether heredity or environment plays a greater role in the determining or shaping of an individual's behavior. It is known as the nature versus nurture debate. Numerous generations before us have deliberated on the reasons behind the development of human behavior. There have been many theories formulated to explain why humans behave the way they do. The surviving theories for behavior derive from physiological and sociological explanations. However, the two explanations have not always been compatible with each other. The famous nature vs. nurture debate over human behavior resulted from conflicting views between proponents of the physiological (nature) and sociological (nurture) explanations. Throughout history, research has swayed popularity back and forth between the theories. Yet, theorists have broken down the line separating nature and nurture. As of today, people utilize both explanations to explore human behavior. Way before our time, early philosophers endeavored to understand the human behavior. As early as 350 BC, such philosophers as Plato and Aristotle tried to understand behavior. The question of nature or nurture as the primary drive can be traced to these times. Plato believed behavior and knowledge was due to innate factors. Author Fiona Cowie states, "The claim that the character of our mental furniture is to...
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...Nature vs. Nurture in Psychology PSYCH 101 Nature vs. Nurture in Psychology What makes you think, feel, and behave the way you do? Were you born predisposed to live the life you are currently living, or were you born a blank canvas upon which your experiences gave shape and expression to the person you are today? These are the types of questions the Nature vs. Nurture debate has posed and scientists have probed for over a century. In this paper we will look at some of the aspects of this debate the scientific community does not attend to, or dismisses, the origin and history of this debate, the essential characteristics around which this issue is debated, and where scientists are today in understanding this issue. What are your thoughts on the Nature vs. Nurture argument? Sir Galton wrote in his book English Men of Science (1874), “Nature is all that a man brings with him into the world; nurture is every influence that affects him after his birth,” (p. 12). I have been led to believe that our biology (nature), our environment (nurture), and our cognitive abilities all interplay and influence our resulting personality and other existing traits. We are, as Myers (2012) continuously asserts, biopsychosocial beings (p.124). These aspects of our existence work in accord to actuate the developmental potential written into our genetic code. Where I think there is a deficiency in the theories proffered, in attempt to answer the Nature vs. Nurture...
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...What are your thoughts on the Nature vs. Nurture argument? One of the biggest debates that continue to remain unsolved is the Nature vs. Nurture argument. My opinion is that the answer is not definitely one or the other but a mixture of the two. This argument tries to establish the role of genes and the environment in human nature. In some situations it is obvious that genetics have a greater role in shaping a person. An example of that is a person that desires to drink alcohol. Some people would say that the feeling is pre-determined by their genetics, while some people would believe that outside sources such as manufacturers and peers have a greater influence. This debate turns out to be one that is hard to explain because there are many factors involved. Some people express concerns that could be applied scientifically, some have true legitimacy that may not be answerable, and some just do not make sense. To make things more complex with this debate, it seems that things are blended together and there is no distinctiveness to separate the roles. Another issue is that some of the uncertainty comes from the genetic language itself. It seems like we try to sort out the contributions from nature and nurture when in fact the distinction is between what is in born and what we receive after birth. It will always go back to genes and the environment which keeps the debate on going. It is obvious the truth lies within nature and nurture, but it has been difficult to determine...
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...Human development has been and would continue to be a very complex process; from birth to death. Human development spans a broad range of human endeavor that has attempted to understand why human beings to the things they do, grow the way they do, and the potential of human beings. There has been an ongoing debate whether human development is impacted by nature or nurture. If the growth of the individual were to be guided by nature, the individual would take the position that all or most of its behaviors and characteristics are the result of genetics inherited from their parents (Colella, 2013). Meaning that they were fully equipped with all the skills they need in their lives when they are born. On the other hand, if an individual’s growth were guided by nurture only, the individual would think and behave in a certain manner because that is how the individual was taught to do so or from experience (Colella, 2013). In this case the individual is also impacted by the environment surrounding them. Although nature has some impact on human development on an individual, nurture has a greater impact on an individual’s development. It has a bigger affect on human development due to early childhood experiences, acquired intelligences and socialization throughout their life. Early childhood is the most and rapid period of development in a human life. The experiences gained from birth to the four years of age are critical to the complete and healthy cognitive, emotional and physical...
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...development, the life span perspective is necessary because it takes into account every phase of life. The life-span perspective, was first set forth by Paul and Margaret Baltes and their associates (P. B. Baltes et al., 2006; Staudinger & Lindenberger, 2003). The life-span perspective notes that development throughout life is: (1) multidirectional, therefore change occurs in every aspect of life and in every direction and not just in a straight line, (2) multicontextual, therefore the several contexts, such as economic constraints, family patterns, and historical conditions embed the lives of humans, (3) multicultural, therefore several cultures affect the development of individuals, (4) multidisciplinary, therefore psychology and other disciplines, such as biology, neuroscience, education, economics, anthropology, sociology, religion, history, genetics, and medicine provide insight into development and (5) plastic, therefore any individual possess traits, which may be altered at any given time during life, and change that occurs is...
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...Perspective of Development To study human development the life span perspective is necessary because it does not just take into account the development that occurs in childhood or adulthood but every phases of life (Berger, 2011). The life span perspective is a view of human development characterized by multicontextual, multicultural, multidisciplinary, multidirectional, and plastic characteristics Development is multicontextual, therefore the several contexts, such as economic constraints, family patterns, and historical conditions embed the lives of humans (Berger, 2011). Development is multicultural; therefore several cultures affect the development of individuals. Development is multidisciplinary; therefore psychology and other disciplines, such as biology, neuroscience, education, economics, anthropology, sociology, religion, history, genetics, and medicine provide insight into development (Berger, 2011). Development is multidirectional; therefore change occurs in every aspect of life and in every direction and not just in a straight line. Development is plastic; therefore any individual possess traits, which may be altered at any given time during life, and change that occurs is ongoing but not...
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...better understand how genetics and the components of personality can be linked with various mental disorders. Scientists, or more specifically psychologists, have taken the general idea of nature vs. nurture and extended their research into how each factor affects an individual. The concept Nature vs. Nurture is essentially your genetics against their environment. However, the majority of scientists have disowned this once popular stance on personality development. One such individual, David Moore, a Professor of Psychology at Pitzer College and Claremont Graduate University in Southern California explained in an interview the faultiness of the nature vs. nurture concept. In comparison he explained the superiority of epigenetics as a substitute way of thinking. “For the longest time, the nature-nurture debate has been cast as a kind of contest between genes and experiences. The thought was that we might have some characteristics that are caused primarily by genetic factors and other characteristics that are caused primarily by experiential factors. What epigenetics is making clear is that’s a faulty way to think about the situation, because it’s not true that genes do things independently of their contexts. Instead, genes do what they do because of the contexts that they’re in. Nature and nurture are always working together to produce all of our traits” (Moore, p. 1). This revolutionary outlook has provided scientists with the ability to not only predict an individual's probability...
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...Foundation of Psychology Psychology is the study of human behavior and mind. According to Psychology: The Study of Mental Processes and Behavior defined psychology as the scientific investigation of mental processes (thinking, remembering, feeling, etc.) and behavior. Psychology alone has more than one basic foundation. Psychology can be as broad as biology and as detailed as philosophy, because it includes humans who are very complex in nature. Psychology involves more than how people act; it includes their thought process, emotions, memories, and analysis of events. When psychology was first introduced people weren’t sure if it was a science separated from biology and philosophy. The major school of thought in psychology exemplifies the major theories within psychology. Over the years there are many schools of thoughts in psychology that has developed, that are in addition to the main eight which are structuralism, functionalism, rationalism, behaviorism, psychoanalysis, humanistic psychology, Gestalt psychology, and Cognitive Psychology. . The first school of thought, structuralism was endorsed by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Bradford Titchner between 1890-1920 in Germany and the US. This school of thought analyzes the mental processes and broke in down into the most basic component. Techniques such as introspection was use to examine how the human mind processed information. Due to the concept of structuralism, John Dewey was credited as the founder of functionalism...
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...is seen as a very important topic in today’s world. What’s right? What is going to harm my child? How can I protect them? These, and many more questions are raised by most parents on a daily basis. In order to know what is best for a child, it is crucial to know what developmental theories best match up with a parent's way of thinking. Psychological theorists have been working for a long time on discovering how children grow and learn. Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget are two theorists that have made a lot of headway in the child developmental field. With some similar and different concepts, these theorists made a huge impact in the psychology world. Born in Germany, Erickson never agreed with traditional schooling. He graduated...
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...Somatic Symptom Disorder A Nature vs. Nurture Debate By Jennifer Nguyen July 3, 2015 The Disorder While many mental disorders are well-known and commonly referred to, such as bipolar disorder, depression, and anorexia, one mental disorder that has less limelight are somatoform disorders. WebMD defined somatoform disorders as “mental illnesses that cause bodily symptoms, including pain” where these symptoms cannot be “traced back to any physical cause” and they are “not the result of substance abuse of another mental illness” (WebMD). The Criteria & Associated Behaviors In DSM-IV, somatization disorder was the major somatoform disorder. There were many criteria for this disorder. However, in DSM-V, somatoform disorders were largely replaced by the term somatic symptom disorder, hereon referred to as SSD, which DSM-V characterizes by “somatic symptoms that are either very distressing or result in significant disruption of functioning, as well as excessive and disproportionate thoughts, feelings and behaviors regarding those symptoms. With this new change in DSM-V, somatization disorder (previously in DSM-IV) is now completely removed and replaced. The previous diagnosis of somatization disorder required very specific criteria. However, the new criteria for SSD is not as specific, but it does state that “somatic symptoms must be significantly distressing or disruptive to daily live and must be accompanied by excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors” (DSM). To see...
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...The foundations of psychology were set upon the discovery of the relationship between biology and philosophy. The birth of psychology is a direct result of these two studies combining to make an intriguing study of human behaviors, emotions and reactions. Psychology became equally important to other studies when it became apparent that it reflected both biological aspects as well as aspects of philosophy. Combined, these two studies allowed the discovery that people exhibit behaviors and emotions for many reasons. Human’s exhibit behaviors(s) in reaction to environmental factors, taught behavior, natural instinct, as well as an array of other scenarios trigger such behaviors. “Humans are complex creatures whose psychological experience lies at the intersection of biology and culture”(Kowalski & Westen, 2005). Psychology was (in some perspectives) stumbled upon in very early biological studies. It was observed that patients with head trauma injuries were test subjects to the identification of the correlation between the human brain and physical responses. This discovery opened the door to the study of human psychology. The finding that the human brain interacted with the body in producing reactions and actions led to an entirely new world of study filled with fascinating aspects, now known as psychology. The foundation of psychology is built largely upon philosophy and was rooted from such philosophers such as Aristotle and Descartes...
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