Nature vs. Nurture - We are Influenced by a Combination :: Papers Psychology Development Behavior

Nature vs. Nurture DebateThe controversy over what determines who we ar, whether it is Nature(heredity, our biologic make up) or Nurture (our environment) is pickings a newshape. Through the past decades, psychologists have developed differenttheories to explain the characteristics of human-beings how we feel, think andbehave. Usually, these theories were one directional in the nature / nurturequestion. Today, a new approach to deal with this question is emerging. Thisnew approach finds a middle ground between nature and nurture. Theconclusion that nature and nurture are complementary and work hand and handto shape a behavior (a purposeful and meaningful activity) is not a compromiseit is a result of a vigorous study of each of the components of the equation ofheredity and environment and their affects on determining ones developmentand behavior. In fact, the more we understand roughly development and behavior,the more obvious it becomes that nature and nurture are similarly influ encesrather than determinants, not only singly but also in combination. here(predicate) below, Iwill endeavour to expose the leading theories dealing with the question of naturevs. nurture. I will also try to present the third, new-emerging approach meant to light up the mystery of What is it that makes us who we are? Our genes made us. We animals exist for their preservation and arenothing more than their throwaway survival machines. This is what RichardDarwin states in his book The Selfish Gene. In his international best seller book,he argues that we are merely a product of our genes and our main purpose inlife is to serve the genes, become statistical distribution agents and ensure theirproliferation. Before we take any stand to Darwins statement, let us familiarizeourselves with what is meant when the term nature is used. Nature representswhat we are born with and cannot control. Our biological make up is determinedby the genes we receive from our parents(reside in the 23 pair s ofchromosomes, 23 from each parent.) A gene is a segment of DNA or asequence of nucleotides in DNA that codes for a functional product, (Tortora,Microbiology. p. 575.) These genes not only affect our outlook, but also play asignificant fictitious character in determining our behavior and our well-being. Through newgenetic studies, clinical observation, and research on identical twins andadopted children, we are becoming more and more aware that many of the humancharacteristics previously taken for granted as products of childhood rearing andenvironment are rooted in the genetic matrix., (Neubrauer, Peter. p 38) Studiesof identical twins reared apart have provided researchers with a lot of clues