Nature vs Nurture
Topic: Nurture strongly influences early human development. Discuss.
We are born with nature and nurture. As a result, we are defined by nature and nurture. Throughout the centuries, there are a lot of questions and arguments about whether nature or nurture plays a more important role in early human development.
Nature, which is heredity, means the process by which characteristics are given from a parent to their child through the genes (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s dictionary, 2003). It has a certain effect on early human development. As Atkinson (1999, 70-71) pointed out, human embryo develops according to the natural sequence stage of growth and until a definite age or level of neurological development, every human baby starts learning to speak.
Moreover, genetic or DNA is also an important impact in human early growth. It determines our body shape, height, intelligence, personality etc. For example, we got light skin from father and big eyes from mother through the genes. Everything is encoded in DNA (Powell, 2010, Internet).
On the other hand, nurture which is referring to environment, also have a certain impact on human life. John Locke, British philosopher argued that the mind of a newborn infant is a “blank slate”, human get new knowledge and experience via their five senses (Atkinson, 1999, 70-71). Moreover, Watson commented as follow:
“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in, and I’ll guarantee to take anyone at random and train him to be any type of specialist I might select...regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors” (Atkinson, 1999, 70-71).
Furthermore, baby might become a deaf person, blind or brain-damaged automatically once they are born if their mother catches German measles or other serious illness during the initial period of fetus development (Atkinson, 1999, 70-71).
In addition, unceasing practice can make babies
We are born with nature and nurture. As a result, we are defined by nature and nurture. Throughout the centuries, there are a lot of questions and arguments about whether nature or nurture plays a more important role in early human development.
Nature, which is heredity, means the process by which characteristics are given from a parent to their child through the genes (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s dictionary, 2003). It has a certain effect on early human development. As Atkinson (1999, 70-71) pointed out, human embryo develops according to the natural sequence stage of growth and until a definite age or level of neurological development, every human baby starts learning to speak.
Moreover, genetic or DNA is also an important impact in human early growth. It determines our body shape, height, intelligence, personality etc. For example, we got light skin from father and big eyes from mother through the genes. Everything is encoded in DNA (Powell, 2010, Internet).
On the other hand, nurture which is referring to environment, also have a certain impact on human life. John Locke, British philosopher argued that the mind of a newborn infant is a “blank slate”, human get new knowledge and experience via their five senses (Atkinson, 1999, 70-71). Moreover, Watson commented as follow:
“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in, and I’ll guarantee to take anyone at random and train him to be any type of specialist I might select...regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors” (Atkinson, 1999, 70-71).
Furthermore, baby might become a deaf person, blind or brain-damaged automatically once they are born if their mother catches German measles or other serious illness during the initial period of fetus development (Atkinson, 1999, 70-71).
In addition, unceasing practice can make babies
Bibliography: Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. (2003). Atkinson, R.L. et al., Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology, 13th edition (1999) pp. 70-71. © 1996. Powell, K., (2010). Nature vs. Nurture [online]. Available from: http://genealogy.about.com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture_2.htm [Accessed 15 February 2010]. Author unknown, (2005-2010). Nurtured by Love or Matured by Nature? [online]. Available from: http://www.learninginfo.org/nature-nurture-debate.htm [Accessed 16 February 2011]. Author unknown, (1940). Education: Nature v. Nurture [online]. Available from: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,789690,00.html#ixzz1EVS3WDkL [Accessed 16 February 2011].