NATURE NURTURE
“MAJOR” DEBATES IN
PSYCHOLOGY
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To introduce the nature and nurture debate
 To examine the significance of this debate to
Psychological theory

“Some are born great, some
achieve greatness, and some have
greatness thrust upon them”
William Shakespeare, Twelfth night: act II,
Scene V
USING SHAKESPEARE’S
FAMOUS QUOTE AS A CLUE,
CAN YOU SEPARATE THIS LIST OF WORDS INTO TWO
GROUPS?
Culture
Nature
Learned
Inherited
Hereditary
Genetic
Innate
Environmental
Biological
Social
Nurture
Acquired
Culture
Learned
Environmental
Social
Acquired
Nurture
Innate
Inherited
Hereditary
Genetic
Biological
Nature
TASK

Now, IN NO MORE THAN 50 WORDS, explain
how you decided on the make-up of your two
groups. Try to avoid using any of the listed words
in your explanation
HOW WOULD I DO THIS?
Culture
Innate
Learned
Inherited
Environmental
Hereditary
Social
Genetic
Acquired
Biological
Nurture
Nature
The group on the left are all words which describe ways
in which we develop because of the way we are brought
up. The words on the right are all used to describe the
way behaviour can be inborn or comes from our parents
(44 words)
NATURE vs. NURTURE
Theorists tend to explain behaviour in
terms of one of two factors
NATURE
Genetics, biochemistry
and physiology
(Biological make-up)
NURTURE
Socialisation, learning
and experience.
(Environmental factors)
PRACTISING PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
Identify on your grid, things which…
…are definitely
a product of
nature
…are probably
due to a
mixture of both
…are definitely
a product of
nurture
WATCH THE SHORT CLIP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMbf8R9BPyg
 What issues does this raise in relation to the
Nature Nurture debate?

THE NATURE NURTURE DEBATE IN
PSYCHOLOGY: THE STANDING OF THE
DIFFERENT APPROACHES
NATURE
BIOPSYCHOLOGY
Focuses on genetic,
physiological,
hormonal and
neurochemical
explanations of
behaviour
NURTURE
PSYCHOANALYSIS
Focuses on
instinctual drives of
sex and aggression,
expressed within the
restrictions imposed
by society via the ego
and superego
COGNITIVE
Focuses on
innate
information
processing
abilities or
schemata
that are
constantly
refined by
experience
HUMANISM
While
accepting basic
psychological
needs, the
focus is upon
the person’s
experience of
their social and
physical
environment.
BEHAVIOURISM
Focuses on the
acquisition of
virtually all
behaviour from the
environment via
conditioning.
Look at the arguments/standpoint that you have
been given
 You have 5 minutes to read through your
argument(s), make brief notes in your own words
and be ready to pass this information on to the
rest of the class to put on to their ‘scales’.

For Nurture/Against Nature
Against Nurture/For Nature
NATURE NURTURE DEBATE
WHERE DO YOU STAND?
NATURE
NURTURE
 Place yourselves on the continuum and prepare to
justify your reasoning as a psychologist!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljVd6XS-J0s
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBahDmCG3
B0
