Nature vs Nurture
BY:
NURUL SHAZWANI BINTI MOHD ROSDI

Centers on the
relative
contributions of
-genetic
inheritance and
environmental
factors to human
development
Plato and
Descartes-
inborn
Oldest issue
in
psychology
John Locke-
tabula rasa
(mind
begins as a
blank slate)
Experience
Occur
naturally

• Heredity
• Genetic predisposition/animal
instinct
• Inborn abilities and traits
NATURE
• Environment
• Taught to do
• Moulds genetic tendencies
NURTURE

The
Nature
Theory
Physical traits
are encoded
in DNA
Abstract traits
also encoded
in an
individual’s
DNA
Sexual
orientation
Fraternal
twins
To excuse
criminal acts/
justify divorce

The Nurture Theory
- Environment
Genetic
tendencies do
not matter
Behavioural
aspects originate
from the
environmental
factors
John Watson-
experiment on
Albert
B.F Skinner-
pigeons [ human
behaviour can be
conditioned the
same way as
animals]
New Scientist’s
study – humor is
a learned trait
Identical twins-
they are not
exactly alike

NATURE OR
NURTURE?

It is a tie, study finds
BRISBANE, Australia, May 19 (UPI) -- One of the longest debates in history -- nature or nurture -- has turned
out to be a draw because they equally influence health, researchers say.
Researchers analyzing 50 years of data collected on 14.5 million pairs of twins found that variation between
them for traits and diseases worked out to 49 percent based on genetics and 51 percent environment in most
cases.
"When visiting the nature versus nurture debate, there is overwhelming evidence that both genetic and
environmental factors can influence traits and diseases," said Dr. Beben Benyamin, of the Queensland Brain
Institute, in a press release.
"What is comforting is that, on average, about 50 per cent of individual differences are genetic and 50 per cent
are environmental. The findings show that we need to look at ourselves outside of a view of nature versus
nurture, and instead look at it as nature and nurture."
The conclusion from studying reports of similarities and differences for nearly 18,000 traits across more than
2,700 studies shows that future research should consider both genetics and environment because of their
equivalent average influence on development.
Researchers say genetic and environmental influence was balanced across most traits, though some had wider
differences. Bipolar disorder, for example, was found to be about 70 percent genetic and 30 percent
environmental. The research also showed individual traits were often the result of the cumulative effect of
genetic differences.
The study is published in Nature Genetics.