Nature versus Nurture

Introduction

There has been constant debate between scientists about the influence of the environment on children. The other philosophy is what of the influence of environment over nature. This debate has raged for decades. Current scientists are no closer to ending the debate.

Physical Appearance:

Nature:

Physical appearance is determined by genetics. The chromosomes from our mother and father combine to create an individual with their own set of genes. These genes determine height, weight, skin color, and hair color and eye color. Genetics are also believed to contribute to intelligence as well as birth defects and possibly sexual orientation.

Nurture:

Environment plays an important part in physical development. Economics,

culture, nutrition and medical intervention all add to the development of the child. If the parents

or caregivers are not educated in the importance of health, and medical intervention, the child may become under nourished and lack proper protection from childhood diseases. Proper growth of bones and muscle and tissue is not present.

Behavior

Nature:

Heredity plays a strong part of an infant s temperament. How the child reacts to certain experiences and how the child s sensory feelings allow him to play out the situation.

Behavior

Nurture:

The child learns social referencing from the caregivers/parents. The environment of the culture, economic standing and self esteem of those around the child will set the way that the child will learn to behave in a situation. Social referencing plays a part of how the child learns to control his behavior, by mimicking those around him.

Personality

Nature:

Personalities can be a strong part of the genetic make up of the child. Traits of the parents are passed on in the term of goodness of fit . How often might we hear from a parent/caregiver how good , wound-up or distressed an infant may be. This is the baby s genetic makeup form it s heredity.

Nurture:

The social standing and cultural environment that the baby is born into can teach a child how to perceive to respond to a situation. If social referencing is so that the child is ignored, or set aside; the child may not develop a since of self-esteem, self-worth and the ability to learn kindness, understanding, acceptance, humor and tolerance.

Conclusion

My first thoughts about this debate have, for the most part, remained the same. I feel that all the literature that I read and the reports on research that I have looked at have lead me to the same conclusion. We are born with various traits; the positive referencing of the caregiver/parent can alter most of them. However, our temperament, and to extent, our personalities are set in by heredity. Positive reinforcement of good behavior can teach us to deal with life s turns in a social way the builds self-esteem and self-worth that carry on by our own social referencing.