Personality
The
combination of characteristics or
qualities that form an individual’s
distinctive character
It
is all the qualities that make someone
interesting
Nature vs. Nurture
Human Behavior
Where does our personality come from?


Nature:

It’s genetic

You were “born that way”

It is inherited from one or both parents
Nurture:

It’s environmental

You’ve acquired it because of
life experiences and circumstances
Nature vs. Nurture Worksheet
TAKE A STAND

Do you think personality is more nature, or more nurture?

You can either be AT either sign or somewhere in-between.

You’ll have to justify why you’re standing where you are
Check for understanding
1.
In the discussion of nature vs. nurture,
nurture refers to:
a) That which is inherited/genetic
b) All environmental influence and experiences
Siblings
“…in
terms of personality, we are similar to
our siblings only about 20 percent of the
time. Given the fact that we share genes,
homes, routines and parents, this makes no
sense. What makes children in the same
family so different?” (NPR.org)
Theory One: Divergence
“Siblings
want
to separate
from each
other”
Theory Two: Environment

"Children grow up in different
families because most siblings
differ in age, and so the timing
with which you go through
your family's [major events] is
different.

“Children in the same family
are rarely treated the same by
their parents”
Theory Three: Exaggeration
 “Families are
essentially comparison
machines that greatly
exaggerate even minor
differences between
siblings”