Environment: The Persuading Factor In Identity

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Environment: The Persuading Factor in Identity Lindsay Wallin University of Phoenix Environment: The Persuading Factor in Identity The world has been interested in identity and how humans become who they are for longer than most would think. The nature vs. nurture debate can be traced back to 13th century France. It has recently been determined that both sides of the argument are correct when determining what influences people’s behavior, and now the argument is about which side, biology or environment, is more influential. The biological factors have been proven to determine eye color, hair color, etc, but scientists say that genes can affect sexual preferences, personalities, and even addictions. Many people fear that these theories will make excuses for criminal acts and divorce. The nurture side of the argument has best been supported by studies of infant and child temperaments. John Watson showed how he could create a phobia in a young child with the Baby Alfred experiments and new studies are showing that a sense of humor is influenced by the environment rather than pre-determined by genes. To this day, one can be put at ease because genes may provide a template of who one becomes but cannot determine everything (Powell, 2009). Although both biology and the environment affect one’s behavior, the role the environment plays is more significant due to the lack of biological make-up in humans. Is homosexuality genetic or is it something that is learned? That is the question driving research on the biological side of the debate. Scientists believe today that there is a homosexual “gene” that is apparent in about 10 percent of the world’s population (Jones, 2009). This number is widespread through every culture and every environment. It may be hard to believe that one’s sexual preference comes down to one little piece of DNA, but that is not all that

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