Psychology 1000
10/11/12
Nature vs. Nurture

In the field of psychology there is a large controversy on whether nature or nurture affect who we are or who we will become. Those who favor nature will argue that our intelligence, personality traits and capacity to achieve goals are largely influenced by genetics. On the other side, people who put forward the idea of nurture will say that it is the environment we live in that shapes who we become. According to John Watson, a strong psychologist who proposed environmental learning as a dominating side, he can be able to train a baby randomly chosen in a group of 12 infants, to become any type of specialist he wants. As of now, we know that both nature and nurture play important parts in molding an individual; however, environmental factors are the real origins of our behavior.
There are many examples that can be given to support Watson’s behavioristic views and theories. For instance, identical twins have very remarkable similarities; however when raised in two completely different environments, for example how accessible resources are to each of them, private school versus public school, cause several differences in the way they think and behave. Also, how well a parent takes care of his child and how safe the environment surrounding the family is, affects the child’s behavior and decision-making skills. Also, often children who have been raised in a stable and safe environment, with lots of affection from their parents will have a better chance at handling situations and adapting faster to drastic changes than a child who lacked affection and sense of comfort throughout his whole life. In the end, it is a fact that we have traits that are predetermined by our genes, but we can still choose who we want to be through our lifetime by controlling the environment that surrounds each of us.