The Role of Nature and Nurture in the Human Development - Assignment Example

The paper "The Role of Nature and Nurture in Human Development" is an outstanding example of an assignment on social science. The roles of nature and nurture in the development of a human being have each been given credence throughout the history of psychology. Nature is used to refer to the biologically encoded (genetic) dominance over the emergence of human behavior. In contrast, nurture is the environmental impact on behavior, including physical and social sources. These concepts have caused many conflicts in the psychological field due to their apparently dichotomous relationship.

Psychoanalytic theory, for example, supports the exclusivity of nature as a developmental influence, which can be observed in such theories as Jungian archetypes. Behaviorism opposes this view and emphasizes the role of outside sources in the learning processes (conditioning and operant). The position relies on the "tabula rasa" theory that we are all born as blank slates. I feel that there is no need to see these views as incompatible. Adhering to the formerly popular extreme views is no longer scientifically prudent, as we have become quite aware of the important roles that both nature and nurture have in human development.

While not nearly as controversial, the perception of human development is either a stage by stage or continuous process. The first approach is adopted by the psychoanalytic and related Freud-derived theories. While the arrangement and composition of stages differ throughout researchers, the concept of lifetime development as a series of achievements is common to Freud, Erikson, Alder, and their contemporaries. Alternatively, other lifespan developmental theories support a continuous view of psychological growth.

Both behaviorism and cognitive psychology, and cognitive-behaviorism, obviously, decline to arrange human development in clearly defined achievements, as the approach does not meet with their perspective and findings. I believe that the latter approach is truer than reality, as development is not a clear-cut process of definable goals. However, there are a few milestone-related advancements that remain important in the identification of growth (walking, speaking, etc.).Reproductive technologies have become a common part of biological services, despite a consistent amount of controversy in the media.

Much of the conflict is due to religious beliefs regarding conception, though some question the potential for harm to the parent and/or child. This is particularly the case with postmenopausal assisted births, as the age of conception has long been associated with the medical outlook of births for all involved, and involves concerns about biology, psychology, as well as social well-being. Additionally, assistance due to age often involves the use of hormone therapies, which have been associated with cancers and other detrimental effects.

Another criticized method of assisted conception is donor insemination. The main ethical concerns here are regarding the rights of the donor parent, which are commonly reduced to almost none if any at all. Another potential ethical issue is the impact of donor DNA on health outcomes for the child. There are many aspects of learning that can be used to help change a child's behavior, but punishment of any kind has been clearly revealed as the worst of all. Spankings, groundings, and most other forms of penalty can lead to many unwanted developmental results, like poor emotional skills.

However, studies have supported mild types of omission (negative punishment) like time-outs can have benefits for children, providing certain guidelines and contraindications are acknowledged. Positive and operant conditioning methods like molding also hold promise as efficient motivators of behavior change. However, there is not necessarily always a need to intervene directly in the child's activities. Instead, programs can help the parents to develop styles that naturally encourage appropriate behaviors.

It is a fact that many parents are not adept at their roles, and learning can help them avoid pitfalls like rewarding behavior too often.