1. Is it experience and/or genetics that creates and
impacts an individual
By: Saajan Patel
Michelle Hover
Erika Davidson
Jasmine Peña
2. 44 Thieves Study (Bowlby,
1944)
Aim: To investigate the effects of maternal deprivation on
people.
Procedure: Bowlby interviewed 44 adolescents who were
referred to a child protection program in London because of
stealing- i.e. they were thieves. Bowlby selected another group
of 44 children to act as ‘controls’.
He interviewed the parents from both groups to state whether
their children had experienced separation during the critical
period and for how long.
3. Findings: More than half of
the juvenile thieves had been
separated from their mothers
for longer than six months
during their first five years.
In the control group only two
had had such a separation.
He also found several of the
young thieves (32%) showed
'affectionless psychopathy'
(they were not able to care
about or feel affection for
others). None of the control
group were affectionless
psychopaths.
4. Conclusion: Bowlby concluded that the
reason for the anti-social behavior and
emotional problems in the first group
was due to maternal deprivation.
5. My Case study summary:
Christiansen's (1970,1974) twin case study is in
favor of the genetic aspect of crime. Christiansen
examined criminality through a random sample of
Danish twins. The results showed a significantly
higher scoring of concordance in MZ twins vrs the DZ
twin. The MZ twins being at 33% concordance on
several levels of criminality against the the DZ twins
at 11% of concordance.
6. Genetics vs. Experience
Dean Byrd’s study focused on identical twins,
non-identical twins, non-adoptive siblings, and
adopted siblings and his results were 52%
concordance rate for identical twin which means
there are 48% unaccounted to genetics that
could be a result of experience. Because
identical twins share the same genetics then if
one twin is homosexual the other twin should
be so it could not be due to genetics
homosexuality.
7. A study of 13,000 New Zealand adults (age 16+)
examined sexual orientation as a function of childhood
history.30 The study found a 3-fold higher prevalence of
childhood abuse for those who subsequently engaged in
same sex sexual activity.
e
8. Negatives: -Gene is not specific
-unaware of how greatly the genes influences
whether or not a person will be homosexual
-Similar gene was not found in female
homosexuals
e
9. Definition of Experience
Dictionary definition: The fact or state of
having been affected by or gained knowledge through
direct observation or participation
Our definition: Experience is the different
events in one’s lives that influences how they mature
E
10. TOK WHEEL
Ways of Knowing:
Perception: How you view your
experience (Five senses)
Reason: Motives behind actions
(personal examples)
Emotion: Because of genetics and
experience people are more prone to
become emotionally distressed
Language: culture plays a part in
our language (experience)
S
11. Areas of Knowledge
Mathematics: Statically evidence used in
psychological studies
Natural science: Biological/Genetics
Human Science: Experience
Ethics: Stereotyping, Judging
P
12. Conclusion
With the support of our case studies and other
studies, it is genetics and experiences
combined that affects the different aspects
[ Characteristics, IQ, Perception of the world,
Reasoning, Processing, Emotion Response] of a
human being
M
13. Counter argument
It could solely be genetics that
influences an individual
It could solely be experience that
influences and individual
E
