Nature and nurture - Research Paper Example

When one speaks of nature, they are referring to heredity, the genetic structure of an individual passed down to them by their parents. A few examples of inherited traits or nature include a person’s IQ, height/weight, behavioral patterns, general appearance and disposition, all of which significantly impact a child’s development. The environment or nurturing influences that a child experiences while growing up also significantly impacts their development but how much outside stimulus can affect or counteract genetic predispositions continues to be studied and varies at least to some extent in each individual.

Some fundamental nurturing dynamics, nutrition for example, have been revealed to play an integral role in determining a child’s development. Other external factors such as fears experienced by a child can become ingrained and manifest into any one of many maladies surfacing throughout that child’s lifetime. Nurturing activities such as behavioral techniques taught by disciplinary measures and observations is an important aspect of child development as well. Proper behavior will not develop if not learned as a child.

Behavior has been proven to be dependant more so on nurture than nature. (Blanz, 1991 pp. 939–950) To better understand the extent nature, or genetics, has on the development of children; researchers have conducted many studies involving twins who were raised in differing environments, by different types of parents. One study involved the ‘Jim twins’ a set of identical twins who were raised apart. Though they had never met, the brothers and researchers discovered many similarities between the now 40 year olds.

The conclusion that no credible explanation existed for the similarities except nature plays an important role in child development. “The Minnesota twin study concluded that on multiple measures of personality and temperament, occupational and leisure-time interests and social attitudes, mono-zygotic twins reared apart are about as similar as are mono-zygotic twins reared together” (Flanagan). Researchers have also examined adopted siblings within the same family, in other words children who share nurturing circumstances but are not related biologically to their parents or siblings.

  A study conducted by the Texas Adoption Project concluded that there was “little similarity between adopted children and their siblings, and greater similarity between adopted children and their biological parents” (Flanagan). This study showed that nature indeed plays a pivotal role in how a child will develop therefore predictions can be made as to how to best accommodate positive outcomes. An example would be if biological parents have a particular learning disability, their children are more likely to develop the same condition and steps can be taken early on to address it. (Rowe, p. 55) Much of how we develop our personalities is thus shaped by the way in which we are treated by our parents and caregivers and affected by the education we receive, the culture we are raised in and the social adherence to these cultural norms we encounter.

The things that happen to us throughout our lives also affect the way our personalities develop. Major events such as a death in the family, a significant move, changes in the family order (through divorce, remarriage, new births,