Nature Vs. Nurture: Role In Child Development
Alysia Ramirez
English 1A
Professor K. Nelson
October 17th, 2014
Nature vs. Nurture
“We have moved from introspection, speculation, and observation to experiment, neurophysiology, and imaging. From the classical Greek era onward, the dualism between mind and body has existed as the constant dilemma.” (Merikangas, 2004). A predicament of whether nature or nurture plays a larger role in child development has been an ongoing debate within psychology referred to as Nature vs. Nurture. Nature is what is inherited with conception, your genetics, and nurture is referred as your environmental influences. Since studies of Nature vs. Nurture have taken place over time, generally all have come to agree that nature and nurture do have coexisting roles …show more content…
This is my opinion because I have seen it first-hand. Researches always watch children to see how they develop and how certain events affect them but I think they should take a step back and view teenagers if they want to see results. When you are a teenager generally around the later years of eighteen or nineteen that is when you are first finding out who you are and realize what really has affected you. The perfect example I wanted to give is my girlfriend Katherine Morgan. Katherine has three older siblings all by eighteen years and she is the only child with a different father. Her mother was not married to this man so growing up she was pushed away from certain parts of her family due to religious beliefs. Katherine’s father had a lot of problems with drinking, women, drugs, and always in an out of jail. Growing up she would see him only about once a month and was never allowed alone with him because of risk of abduction. The last time she saw her father was when she was five years old and from that point on it was only her mother in the picture. Katherine has extreme trust issues; she doesn’t deal with her anger very well, always wants to have attention, and always tries to hurt someone in her relationships if she gets worried they will leave so she cannot be hurt first. Being with her for a year now, it’s almost as I have conducted my own …show more content…
genetic) or acquired (i.e. learned) characteristics.” (McLeod, 2007). All in all, both nature and nurture play leading roles in the development of a child. After reading countless articles, and seeing it first-hand, nurture plays a dominant role. A child with good health can be anything and anything they want to be with good nurturing and upbringing. Even in poor health because of their nature, if they are given good nurture they still have great opportunities for happiness and greatness. While researchers and experts take steps to determine to what degree genetics and environment influence behavior, you can take your own steps in your personal life; practice healthy nurturing in your own family and maybe observe your significant other as I have done to discover a little more about the people around you.
Refrences
Cherry, K. (2014). The Age Old Debate of Nature Versus Nurture. About.com Psychology. Retrieved Oct 17, 2014, from http://psychology.about.com/od/nindex/g/nature-nurture.htm
McLeod, S. (2007). Nature vs Nurture in Psychology. Nature Nurture in Psychology. Retrieved Oct 17, 2014, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html
Merikangas, J. R. (2004, October 1). CME Activity. PsychiatryOnline. Retrieved Oct 17, 2014, from
English 1A
Professor K. Nelson
October 17th, 2014
Nature vs. Nurture
“We have moved from introspection, speculation, and observation to experiment, neurophysiology, and imaging. From the classical Greek era onward, the dualism between mind and body has existed as the constant dilemma.” (Merikangas, 2004). A predicament of whether nature or nurture plays a larger role in child development has been an ongoing debate within psychology referred to as Nature vs. Nurture. Nature is what is inherited with conception, your genetics, and nurture is referred as your environmental influences. Since studies of Nature vs. Nurture have taken place over time, generally all have come to agree that nature and nurture do have coexisting roles …show more content…
This is my opinion because I have seen it first-hand. Researches always watch children to see how they develop and how certain events affect them but I think they should take a step back and view teenagers if they want to see results. When you are a teenager generally around the later years of eighteen or nineteen that is when you are first finding out who you are and realize what really has affected you. The perfect example I wanted to give is my girlfriend Katherine Morgan. Katherine has three older siblings all by eighteen years and she is the only child with a different father. Her mother was not married to this man so growing up she was pushed away from certain parts of her family due to religious beliefs. Katherine’s father had a lot of problems with drinking, women, drugs, and always in an out of jail. Growing up she would see him only about once a month and was never allowed alone with him because of risk of abduction. The last time she saw her father was when she was five years old and from that point on it was only her mother in the picture. Katherine has extreme trust issues; she doesn’t deal with her anger very well, always wants to have attention, and always tries to hurt someone in her relationships if she gets worried they will leave so she cannot be hurt first. Being with her for a year now, it’s almost as I have conducted my own …show more content…
genetic) or acquired (i.e. learned) characteristics.” (McLeod, 2007). All in all, both nature and nurture play leading roles in the development of a child. After reading countless articles, and seeing it first-hand, nurture plays a dominant role. A child with good health can be anything and anything they want to be with good nurturing and upbringing. Even in poor health because of their nature, if they are given good nurture they still have great opportunities for happiness and greatness. While researchers and experts take steps to determine to what degree genetics and environment influence behavior, you can take your own steps in your personal life; practice healthy nurturing in your own family and maybe observe your significant other as I have done to discover a little more about the people around you.
Refrences
Cherry, K. (2014). The Age Old Debate of Nature Versus Nurture. About.com Psychology. Retrieved Oct 17, 2014, from http://psychology.about.com/od/nindex/g/nature-nurture.htm
McLeod, S. (2007). Nature vs Nurture in Psychology. Nature Nurture in Psychology. Retrieved Oct 17, 2014, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html
Merikangas, J. R. (2004, October 1). CME Activity. PsychiatryOnline. Retrieved Oct 17, 2014, from