In an effort to uncover their genetic similarities and differences, the students utilized various tools during their experiments. Scott Bronson of the Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory does not find evidence that corroborates race as being rooted in biology; therefore, further proving the notion that race is nothing more than a man made idea. Race Relations 3 Race Relations: Is Race Biologically Real? Race, this idea has sparked debate for centuries. This idea has divided, and alienated societies.
Nature Vs. Nuture Debate One of the greatest controversial debates in Psychology is determining if characteristics and behavior are primarily due to genetics or the environment. It is a widely known fact that genes play a role in determining our eye color, height, blood type and other biological factors, but the biggest question that remains is: do these same genes that determine our anatomy, also determine our tendencies toward traits such as violence, alcoholism, likes and dislikes, or how nice a person is? Defined, nature is the essential characteristics and qualities of a person or thing. Nurture, however means the sum of environmental influences and conditions acting on an organism. When you look at the environment you see many ways that nature has impacted how creatures and humans act on a daily basis.
Persuasive Essay: Nurture vs. Nature There has always been a large controversy on whether it is nature or nurture that affect human behavior and personality. Some people may believe that the secret to one’s identity is in genes, but the real answer can be found in the surroundings. Psychologists have been studying this topic for years and years, and have constructed revolutionary theories. It is evident that nurture has a larger impact on personality and behavioral development, based on studies on three different subjects; early childhood development; feral children and isolates; and knowledge and intelligence.
Human behavior is the collection of behaviors exhibited by human beings and influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, and genetics. The behaviour of people falls within a range with some behaviors being socially acceptable (norm), and some outside acceptable limits. There have been many controversial debates, such as nature vs. nurture debate which attempt to explain human behaviour in the form of genetics and environment. Is our behaviour controlled through the effect of genes or the environment? Many research studies have been carried out that support both sides of the arguments so it’s difficult to decide which one is a better explanation.
We often think what makes us who we are today or why we act the way we do. Is it the environment that leads us to think and act in certain ways or is it already in our genes. These thoughts cause us to think about the nature and nurture debate. The 2 life stages I am going to talk about are 4-9 (childhood) and 10-18 (adolescence). Nature is all of the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are such as our physical appearances (eye colour, hair colour, height, weight and skin colour) and our personalities (physical, intellectual, emotional and social skills) you could also get genetic diseases such as down’s syndrome , fragile X syndrome.
Eugenics by definition is the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding or changing of genetics to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable outcomes. When we focus on perfecting and manipulation of the human genomes we can possibly make the perfect human, but even if we did, would it be an ethically correct thing to do. In today’s society this is possible with advancements in science but we do not do so because of the many dilemmas creating the perfect human would create. Imagine making every person who will be born in the future and making it so that they will all have blonde hair and blue eyes. You would face the issue of why is that considered the perfect genome and not brown hair with green eyes.
The main reason Barry Bogin wrote the article was because he wanted to settle the nature versus nurture debate. Scientists have often made it out to seem as if it was one or the other failing to understand that in reality they deeply coincide, for it is not nature versus nurture but rather nature and nurture. He writes about the human species and our bodies amazing ability to adjust in accordance to our surroundings; a term he has coined as “Plasticity.” Bogin refers to his research studies done to further explain to his audience that our biology is not set in stone. The abilities humans have from the day they are born are not always present throughout the entirety of their lives, much like the abilities they develop over the course of their lives are not present at the time of birth. For instance, he argues that all humans are given lactase, an enzyme that helps break down the sugar molecules from our mother’s milk yet we have lactose intolerant people today.
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.
For many years the issue of nature versus nurture has been one of the biggest debates in the study of psychology. The argument for nature assumes not only our height, looks, eye color, etc. are inborn, but also that the same goes for our character, intelligence, sexual orientation, etc. (Myers, 2013, p. 6). The argument for nurture assumes that the mind begins as a blank slate, known as tabula rasa, and that everything in the mind comes from the external world through the senses (Myers, 2013, p. 6; McLleod, 2007).
An Analytical Look at Nature vs. Nurture Stephanie Thorne Liberty University Abstract Nature or nurture? That is the question. Heredity versus environmental factors responsible for the development of one’s personal characteristics and identity, from psychical traits to extraneous talents. For purposes of researching the topic nature versus nurture, this paper will examine three journal articles engaged in relevant argument of each side. “Genes and gender roles: Why is the nature argument so appealing?”, written by P.Y.