NATURE AND NURTURE IN PSYCHOLOGY

WHAT ARE WE MADE OF?

NATURE NURTURE

Genetic Code 46 Chromosomes DNA Mutations Predispositions or the

possibility of developing a disease

All the environmental factors that affect us from conception to death Placental abnormalities Wholesome food and

water Growing up in a

household of smokers Bilingual or monolingual

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW?

IDENTICAL TWINS FRATERNAL TWINS

Twins that develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms.

Twins who develop from separate eggs. They are genetically no closer than any other brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment

TWIN STUDIES Collect and compare data on the

intelligence levels of identical twins raised in the same home.

Collect and compare data on the intelligence levels of fraternal twins raised in the same home.

Compare the similarity in intelligence levels of the identical twins with the similarity in intelligence levels of the fraternal twins.

WHAT HAVE WE FOUND? Intelligence- Nature is at work Personality- Nature is at work. This includes outgoing

vs. shy and emotional stability. Adopted children share traits with biological parents. However, they score higher on IQ tests and are more

involved in charity than biological parents. Divorce rates- Nature is at work. Identical twins that

divorce the chance goes up 5.5% vs. 1.6% in fraternal twins.

BEHAVIOR IS NOT INHERITED, BUT PREDISPOSITION IS!

ENVIRONMENT Early Learning

If you don’t use it you lose it A child raised in abusive isolation will

never learn to read, write, or speak normal Geometry seems like a different language

to me now.

ENVIRONMENT Peer and Parent Influence

One of the most reliable predictors of dropout rate and failure in school is social rejection by one’s peer group.

Look at the quote on page 48. Agree or Disagree?

ENVIRONMENT Cultural Influences

Culture is the shared attitudes, beliefs, norms, and behaviors of a group shared from one generation to the next

Norms are understood rules for accepted and expected behavior within a group

Individualism vs. collectivism Asian culture vs. American culture Japanese teens 3X more likely to worry about

disappointing parents