1. 1
Checkpoint: The Nature-Nurture Issue
Adreena Lind
Psychology 240
April 26, 2012
Professor: AprilKendall

2. 2
Post a 200- to 300-word response explaining the concepts behind the Pro-nature and Pro-nurture
perspectives. Consider the following questions:
• Why is it flawed to ask how much of a particular behavior is due to genetics and how
much is due to experience?
• Why is it appropriate to separate the contributions of genetics and experience when
measuring the development of differences among individuals?
Experiences influence the behavior of a person tremendously; humans learn from infancy
through observations. People are generally molded and models by the environment in which he
or she is raised in. therefore the genetic makeup of an individual can only be a partial factor in a
the development of one’s behavior patterns. For example child born of the same mother in the
same home may experience life in different ways and thus have completely different
personalities and behaviors (Pinel, p.23). In other words genetics are only half of the puzzle and
by basing research on only half of the information with inevitable lead to an incorrect (flawed)
thesis.It is important to differentiate genetic inherence and the influences of life experiences on
human behavior because both elements represent different aspects of human behavior function.
According to Pinel“genetics and experiences must be separate just as a musician and instrument
are separate but function together to create music”; this is exactly how genetics (nature) and
experience (nurture) function in combination with one another to create human behavior and
individual personality. It is also important to note that while the genetics aspects of behavior are
unchangeable and predetermined; experience is a constantly fluctuating and developing element
and generally convey the perspective of the individual person.

3. 3
Reference:
Pinel, JJ (2011) Biopsychology; Eighth Edition, Allyn& Bacon.