Running head: NATURE VS NURTURE
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Nature Vs Nurture
Amber Fordham
Monroe College
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The nature vs nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in psychology. The debate centers
on the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human
development. Nature vs nurture is a scientific debate about how humans evolve and become the
person they are. The main question on this topic is: What made you who you are? Or: Why are
we the way we are?
Is the person we become a product of innate, inborn tendencies, or a reflection of
experiences and upbringing? This is the famous nature vs nurture debate. For years,
psychologists have argued about the relative influence of genes versus experience on behavior
and thought.
John Locke, a famous enlightnment writer, believed in what is known as “tabula rasa”,
which suggests that the mind begins as a blank slate. According to this notion, everything that
we are and all of our knowledge is determined by our experience. For example, when a person
achieves a academic success, did they do so because they are supposed to be successful or is it
a result of an enriched environment? Majority of experts believe that development and
behavior are influenced by both nature and nurture. However, the issue still ranges on in many
areas.
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Musical skills fall into the topic of nature vs nurture. Some people question if singing or
any other musical talent can be taught or if you are born with the skill. Can you learn how to
sing? Are you born with the talent? Some people say you’re “born with music in your blood”,
meaning, singing is a natural skill. But are musical abilities learned or is it genetic?
Someone who isn’t “born with music in their blood” but from an early age were
surrounded by music. They would have a much better chance of becoming musically inclined
due to the constant exposure. Maybe they were born with the gift of singing but just got off to a
good start. Maybe they were born with the gift but never got a chance to express it as a child.
Is singing a natural talent or is it a learned skill? It’s been said that singing is a natural
talent but can be improved. Nature is everything around you, it’s what you live in, who we are.
Nurture is basically to keep good care. If singing came naturally, a person picked up the talent.
If singing was nurtured, someone was taught how to sing.
The ability to sing comes natural to most artists today. But even those artists have to
nurture their skill. These artists take all sorts of vocal lessons to improve their natural talent.
Many artists were born into a family of singers, but then some were always able to sing but
never had the chance to express their talent.
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What makes someone a good musician? Were they born with the talent, or did they grow
up around a lot of music? Was it the gene or the environment? For example, Michael Jackson
was born into a musical family. His father, Joseph Jackson, was the lead singer and guitarist of a
band. As a child, Michael admired James Brown and Diana Ross. Was Michael born with his
musical talent or did he grown into it? Was it the gene or the environment?
Another artist is Chris Brown. Chris Brown wasn’t born into a musical family like
Michael Jackson. Chris brown picked up the habit from his environment. By him growing up
listening to musicians such as Prince, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, he learned on his
own to become the musician that he is today.
In comparison, both artist admired other musicians and followed in their footsteps to
become amazing musicians themselves. Both Michael Jackson and Chris Brown were
influenced by other musicians’ talents. Michael started in the music business when he was just a
young boy. He was the lead singer in his band of brothers and the youngest. People gravitated
toward Michael Jackson’s personality because he was the most entertaining. Chris Brown also
got his start in music young. He was 16 when he started in the musicn business. Interest grew
and so did Chris’ popularity. Soon he was being hailed for his dance moves. He was creative
and had an attractive personality, fans were hooked.
In contrast, Michael Jackson was born into a musical family. All of his older brothers had
a musical talent, as well as his father. Some think Michael had a musical gene. Chris Brown on
the other hand was not born into a musical family. His environment made him the musician that
he is today.
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The nature versus nurture debate is a major source of argument between different
approaches to understanding human behavior. Theories that base their understandings of human
behavior on nature, focus on characteristics that we were born with, like personality traits and
our genetic make-up.
Nature is basic instinct. This is what you're born with; ability to breathe.
Nurture is what you're taught to do; walk, speak, and basic motor skills. It applies to behavior in
that aspect. By nature, you do things as instinct. From being nurtured, you're taught to do
something and you do things based on past experiences. When you’re nurtured by someone, or
taught to do something, you’re being taught how to do it the way they were taught.
Nature versus nurture is the debate over whether we are shaped by our genetics or our
environment. Nature means our genes, or what we were born with. This includes traits. Nurture
means the environment, or how we were raised. This includes environmental influences.
Classical Conditioning has a lot to do with nurture. Ivan Pavlov, a Russian psychologist
did an experiment on dogs. He nurtured, or trained the dogs. He trained his dogs with a simple
object; a bell. He would ring the bell then feed his dogs. Every time the dogs heard the bell, they
would salivate. They’d do so because they knew it was time to eat. Whether Pavlov knew it or
not, he nurtured his dogs. He trained his dogs to focus on the sound of the bell.
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An english philosopher, John Locke thought of the tabula rasa, or blank slate theory. This
theory states that people learn ideas from external forces, or the environment. He sais that
humans are born with an empty mind, having no knowledge whatsoever. People get their idea
from the world that surrounds them. They turn simple ideas that they learn from their
surroundings and make them more complex. He also said that our blank slate of mind starts off
devoid of any knowledge, but then it’s “written on” as a person lives and experiences. Locke
stated that a person has no identity until after birth.
Locke’s tabula rasa theory has similar characteristics if the nurture theory because the
environment has the ability to shape and individual’s mind. Every new experience is a stage of
growth. Every new experience expands possibilities and give people the ability to gather new
knowledge.
An individual’s behavior comes not only from innate traits but also from society. The
childhood years are the most important years of a person’s life. It is where all sorts of traits
develop such as language and thought. Where a child lives will impact their future behaviors.
Having certain behavior is the way your environment is. No matter if a child lives with their
parents or in the streets, their childhood will impact their lives in the future.
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Is the person we become a product of innate, inborn tendencies, or a reflection of
experiences and upbringing? This is the famous nature vs nurture debate. For years,
psychologists have argued about the relative influence of genes versus experience on behavior
and thought.
In the nature vs nurture debate, nature refers to an individual's innate qualities.Nurture
refers to personal experiences. Nature is your genes. The physical and personality traits
determined by your genes stay the same irrespective of where you were born and raised. Nurture
refers to your childhood, or how you were brought up.
The nature vs nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in psychology. The debate centers
on the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human
development. Nature vs nurture is a scientific debate about how humans evolve and become
the person they are. The main question on this topic is: What made you who you are? Or: Why
are we the way we are?
Nature vs Nurture causes quite a controversy, whether inherited genes or the environment
influences and effects development of personality. Social scientists have struggled with this issue
for decades, whether our development is born or made. Some believe that it is our genes; others
believe it is the environment, and others believe it is based on both, our genes and the
environment. Either way, the debate continues. There is still no clear conclusion to this debate
and probably never will be.
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References
Pearson. (2011). The Science of Psychology. Psychology (1–41). United States: Pearson
Learning Solutions.
Cherry, K. (2012). What Is Nature Versus Nurture? Web. Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/od/nindex/g/nature-nurture.htm
Powell, K. (2012). Nature vs Nurture:Are We Really Born That Way? Web. Retrieved from
http://genealogy.about.com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture.htm