Marcin Legeżyński Nature vs. Nurture

The expression “nature versus nurturenature vs. nurturenature versus nurture” relates the question of what determines you as a person: whether your characteristics are formed by nature itself, or influenced by external factorsinfluenced by external factors [influence somebody/something]influenced by external factors, such as your upbringing or life experience more generally. “Nature versus nurture” was first used by Francis Galton, an English scientist. In 1874, he published the book English Men of Science: Their Nature and Nurture, arguing that inherited factorsinherited factors [inherited factor]inherited factors were responsible for intelligence and other traitstraits [trait]traits.

The wording of the phrase “nature vs. nurture” makes it seem as though human individuality – personality traitspersonality traits [personality trait]personality traits, intelligence, preferences, and other characteristics – must be based on either the genesgenes [gene]genes people are born with, or the environment in which they grew up. The reality, as scientists have shown, is more complicated, and both these and other factors contribute to the many ways in which we all differ from one another.

Today, “genetics” and “environment” are frequently used in place of “nature” and “nurture” – with one’s environment including a broader range of experiencesbroader range of experiences [broad range of experiences]broader range of experiences than just the nurturing received from parents or caregivers. Furthermore, nature and nurture (or genetics and environment) do not simply compete to influence a personcompete to influence a personcompete to influence a person, but often interact with each otherinteract with each otherinteract with each other. In other words, “nature and nurture” work together! Finally, individual differences do not entirely come down to your genetic codegenetic codegenetic code or developmental environmentdevelopmental environmentdevelopmental environment – to some extent, your biological nature can affect your experience of the environment. For example, a person with a genetic dispositiongenetic dispositiongenetic disposition toward a particular trait, such as aggressiveness, may be more likely to have particular life experiences (including, perhaps, receiving negative reactions from parents or others). Or, someone who grows up with an inclination towards warmthinclination towards warmthinclination towards warmth and sociabilitysociabilitysociability may seek out and elicit more positive social responseselicit more positive social responses [elicit more positive social response]elicit more positive social responses from peers. These life experiences could, in turn, reinforce your initial tendenciesreinforce your initial tendencies [tendency]reinforce your initial tendencies. Nurture or life experience more generally may also modify the effects of nature – for example, by expanding or limiting the extent to which a naturally bright child receives encouragement, access to quality educationquality educationquality education, and opportunities for achievementopportunities for achievement [opportunity for achievement]opportunities for achievement.

Theorists and researchers have long battled over whether individual abilities and traitsindividual abilities and traits [individual ability and trait]individual abilities and traits are inborninborninborn or are instead forged by experiences after birthforged by experiences after birth [forge]forged by experiences after birth. The debate about nature and nurture has roots that stretch back at least thousands of years, to Ancient Greeks theorising about the causes of personalitytheorising about the causes of personality [theorise about something]theorising about the causes of personality. During the modern era, theories emphasising the role of either learning and experience or biological nature have risen and fallen in their importance – with genetics gaining increasing acknowledgmentgaining increasing acknowledgment [gain increasing acknowledgment]gaining increasing acknowledgment as an important influence on individual differences in the late 20th century and later. The debate has had broad implicationsbroad implicationsbroad implications: The real or perceived sourcesperceived sources [perceive a source]perceived sources of your strengths and vulnerabilitiesstrengths and vulnerabilities [strength and vulnerability]strengths and vulnerabilities matter for fields such as education, philosophy, psychiatry and clinical psychology. Today’s consensusconsensusconsensus is that individual differences result from a combination of inheritedinherited factors [inherited factor]inherited and non‑genetic factorsnon‑genetic factors [non‑genetic factor]non‑genetic factors.

Modern scientific methods have allowed researchers to advance further in understanding the complex relationships between genetics, life experience and psychological characteristics, including mental health conditions and personality traits. Overall, the findings of contemporary studies underscoreunderscoreunderscore that with some exceptions, such as rare diseases caused by mutations in a single gene, no one factor, genetic or environmental, solely determinessolely determines [solely determine]solely determines how you develop.

1 Źródło: Marcin Legeżyński, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.