Nature versus Nurture or Both
The controversy over what determines who we are, whether it is Nature (heredity, our
biological make up) or Nurture (our environment) is taking a new shape. Through the past
decades, psychologists have developed different theories to explain the characteristics
of human-beings; how we feel, think and behave. Usually, these theories were one
directional in the nature / nurture question. Today, a new approach to deal with this
question is emerging. This new approach finds a middle ground between nature and
nurture. The conclusion that nature and nurture are complementary and work hand and hand
to shape a behavior (a purposeful and meaningful activity) is not a compromise; it is a
result of a vigorous study of each of the components of the equation of heredity and
environment and their affects on determining one's development and behavior. In fact,
the more we understand about development and behavior, the more obvious it becomes that
nature and nurture are similarly influences rather than determinants, not only singly but
also in combination. Here below, I will endeavour to expose the leading theories dealing
with the question of nature vs. nurture. I will also try to present the third,
new-emerging approach meant to solve the mystery of " What is it that makes us who we
are?"
"Our genes made us. We animals exist for their preservation and are nothing more than
their throwaway survival machines." This is what Richard Darwin states in his book: The
Selfish Gene. In his international best seller book, he argues that we are merely a
product of our genes and our main purpose in life is to serve the genes, become
distribution agents and ensure their proliferation. Before we take any stand to Darwin's
statement, let us familiarize ourselves with what is meant when the term nature is used.
Nature represents what we are born with and cannot control. Our biological make up is
determined by the genes we receive from our parents(reside in the 23 pairs of
chromosomes, 23 from each parent.) "A gene is a segment of DNA or a sequence of
nucleotides in DNA that codes for a functional product," (Tortora, Microbiology. p.
575.) These genes not only affect our outlook, but also play a significant role in
determining our behavior and our well-being. "Through new genetic studies, clinical
observation, and research on identical twins and adopted children, we are becoming
increasingly aware that many of the human characteristics previously taken for granted as
products of childhood rearing and environment are rooted in the genetic matrix.",
(Neubrauer, Peter. p 38) Studies of identical twins reared apart have provided
researchers with a lot of clues about the role of heredity in every day life behavior.
Twins (monozygotes) are of extraordinary importance when studying heredity because they
share identical copies of genes. An interesting study on twin brothers who were separated
at birth and raised in different countries by respective adoptive parents showed that
they both kept their lives neat, 'neat to the point of pathology.' Their clothes were
preened, appointments met precisely on
time. When asked about the reason they felt to be so clean, the first one replied
" My mother. When I was growing up she always kept the house perfectly ordered. She
insisted on every little thing returned to its proper place,... I learned from her. What
else could I do?" When his twin brother was asked the same question he answered "The
reason is quite simple. I'm reacting to my mother, who was an absolute slob.",
(Neubrauer, Peter P 21) In this example, we see a natural preference based on heredity.
Both twins blamed their mothers for their behaviors, while none of the mothers required
such neatness. Another study on heredity and alcoholism conducted by Goodwin et al (1973)
indicated that adoptees with alcoholic parents were four times more likely to become
alcoholics than those without, although there was no such relationship with alcohol
misuse in adoptive parents, ( Pelle, Stanton. p 2). Even though scientists have only
identified 16,000 out of the total 100,000 genes, many psychological diseases are on the
verge of being unraveled. Take for instance schizophrenia, a disease characterized by
(hallucinations, delusions, flat or inappropriate emotional expression, paranoia and
suspiciousness). New findings point out to its relatedness to genetics. Genetic markers
for schizophrenia are founded on chromosomes 22, 6, 13, 8 and 9, ( De Angelis, Tori.
Boston globe.) These examples reveal the genetic role in our development. They also
expose our predisposition to certain traits and behaviors.
The second camp sitting on the other side of the fence is the advocates for nurture.
Here, nurture represents our surrounding: parents, class-mates, colleagues, our value
system and our society as a whole. People in this camp argue that man is a product of
his environment. Some extremists went as far as saying: give us any new born infant and
we will shape him/her just the way we want, by placing him/her in the desired
environment. " As one grows from infancy to adulthood, social experience plays a critical
and constant role in the regulation of growth , behavior and emotions," (Glick, Marion
E.) Here we are told that social deprivation at different stages of development can lead
to abnormalities in the stress hormone system, which may produce severe and long-lasting
physical, neural and psychological consequences. It is also interesting to consider the
gender differences due to the change in enviroment. Few deacades ago, women were
considered inferior to men in their achievements. Today, eventhough the misconception of
gender roles in society is still present, we can clearly see the gap between men and
women narrowing due to the change in enviorment.
The new school emerging to help bring the nature nurture argument to rest professes that
there is no war between nature and nurture. Indeed, such war would be absurd because it
is the interaction of nature and nurture that defines our behavior and well-being. Here,
a question as " WHY DID YOU STEEL THE CAR? ", cannot be answered by: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO
IT, or better yet, MY GENES MADE ME DO IT. In understanding a behavior, both nature and
nurture are taken to consideration.
" Moreover, it is perfectly obvious that human social life is related to human
biology...Of course, neither biological nor cultural determinists ever wish entirely to
exclude the significance of the other." (R.C Lewontin. p.267-268.) Many psychological
illnesses can be explained as a result of combined genetics and environmental factors.
As already stated in this paper, schizophrenia has genetic basis. It is also a fact that
this mental disease is triggered by environmental factors including family factors and
external stress. Paul Grobstein, in his article"Genes, Environments, and Individual
Choice" explains that "In human development and behavior, as in the development and
behavior of all other living organisms, the genome and the environment instead
productively interact with one another, both contributing unique and valuable information
to the emergence of distinctive individuals" It is also noteworthy to mention that no two
individuals are the same. Not even monozygotic twins have the same environment. "Every
person is a unique and nonrecurrent", (Dobzhansky, Theodosius. p.8)
In sum, in this paper we can conclude that our development and behavior are products of
the interaction between nature and nuture. Scientists confirm that we are predisposed to
certain traits and behaviors, but this predisposition is susceptible to modification by
genetics as well as environmental factors. We can no longer dwell on the question "Is it
Nature or Nurture That Determines Who We Are?" We learn that it is thcombination of these
two vital factors that shape and define our development and behavior.
Work Cited
Dangles, Tori." Chromosomes contain clues on sxhizophrenia", Bsoton Globe, Feb17-97
Dobzhansky,Theodosius. Genetic Diverisy & Human Equality.1973
Glick, Marion E." Behavior and the Brain:A New View of the Narure-Nurture
Debate." Online. Internet.http//:www.rockefeller.edu/pubinfo/neurolecutre.nr.html.
Feb.6 -1996
Neubauer, Peter. Nature's Thumprint,1990
Pelle,
Stanton.Online.Internet.http://www.frw.uva.nl/acd/isg/drugs/peele/lib/genetics.html.
Feb.17-97 5:00PM
R.C. Lewontin. Not In Our Genes. 1984
Richard, Darwin. Selfish Gene, 2nd.edition.1989
Torta, Gerald. Microbiology An Introduction, 5th. edition.1995
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