Environment and Traits in Human Behavior - Essay Example

Researchers state that the physical state of an individual is obtained through inheritance; this means that genetics play a major role in the physical formation of an individual (Powell, 2009, p.5). For example, eye color, the shape of fingers, and diseases such as diabetes are inherited by an individual from his/her parents as well as forefathers.  If a particular individual is experiencing a disease such as diabetes, researchers state that the chances of his/her children experiencing the same disease are quite high. Similarly, the biological approach to behavior states that cognitive abilities and personality characteristics that direct behavior are even obtained by an individual from his family members (Vito, 2007, p.106). This approach even states that these traits and abilities are inborn and are not acquired after an individual becomes a part of this world. Those in favor of this approach are recognized as nativists (Park, 2011, p.14). The nativists argue that individual characteristics are an outcome of evolution and one individual is different from another due to a genetic code inherited by an individual.  Freud is one of those theorists who believe that an individual’s traits are the underlining factors of his behavior (Vito, 2007, p.116). He states that an individual acts aggressively because of the process of Thanatos which is caused due to internal drives (Baron, 1994, p.14).

            On the other side of the paradigm is the environmentalist even regarded as an empiricist who states that when a human being is born he has an empty mind and as he grows up, his mind is filled up due to his interaction with his/her environment (Park, 2011, p.14). An example of empiricists is behaviorist who believes that an individual learns behavior from his/her environment due to the process of conditioning (Vito, 2007, p.114). According to behaviorists the difference between the behaviors of an individual during his childhood and adulthood are different due to learning (Myers, 2013, p.198). They state that how an individual is brought up within society plays a major role in developing the cognitive side of an individual. For example, an individual exhibiting a certain form of attachment is doing so because of the affection he was given during his childhood. Another example is that an individual learns a particular language through the process of imitation of the language that is used by his/her society. Bowlby produced the theory of affection in which he stated that survival is ensured due to the connection between a child and his/her mother (Nevid, 2009, p.343). Bandura stated through his social learning theory that an individual acts in an aggressive manner because he/she has learned to be aggressive from his experiences and the process that he/she uses to learn the behavior may include imitating and observing (Powell, 2009, p.28). He proves his thesis through a Bobo doll experiment in which adults first kick the Bobo doll and children repeated the same behavior as soon as they observed the adults conducting that behavior.

            In the real world, none of the two extremes are accepted by individuals and these extremes are neither used during practice. The question that has taken precedence in the nature versus nurture debate is the calculation of how much behavior is influenced due to inherited characteristics and how much behavior is influenced due to interaction with the environment. During the 19th century, Francis Galton was the first one to research this question (Vito, 2007, p.87). In his research, he identified that an individual’s intellectual side is completely inherited. This view was backed by the findings of Arthur Jenson who figured out that African Americans scored less than White Americans on IQ tests because of inheritance (Weinberg, 1996, p.361). This means that African American families are not intelligent and their children even do not turn out to be intelligent. This view of African Americans has been challenged by many and history has proved Jenson’s research wrong.

Conclusion

            The nature versus nurture debate is surrounded by the belief that individuals inherit traits that direct behavior, while those who support the nurture part of the debate state that the environment is the underlining factor in the behavior exhibited by an individual.