Frankenstein Nature vs. Nurture Essay (In Progress)

Study on Nature v. Nurture The concept of Nature v. Nurture has been a psychological debate that initially began in 1871 by Sir Francis Galton. The debate consisted of the idea whether or not people have specific behavioral traits due to one’s lineage or rather the experiences one has in his/her lifetime. As the conflict carried on, a third view had birthed itself. This view mediated the two oppositions, saying this conflict should not be one at all. Rather than one side opposing the other, both sides together could be the answer to this prolonged debate. It is perceived that people are similar to their ancestry to a certain extent, then as they begin to live their lives more freely; their behaviors are later modified with their personal experiences. Since close to all individuals spend majority of their life as an independent making their own decisions, it is clear that the environmental factors play the larger part in the overall making of a person’s behavior. According to the Guang Guo, who has a featured online article with the University of North Carolina’s page regarding twin studies, it states that, “Genes ‘interact’ with the environment. That is, genes provide the potential for a trait, but environmental conditions determine whether that potential will be realized” (Guo, 46). The quote emphasizes how the environment is the main reason why people become who they are. Individuals are given a multitude of their parents’ genes, but not until specific environmental factors take part in these genes do they become present within that person.