The classic nature vs. nurture debate will be the most memorable concept that we studied this semester in psychology. This detailed and intricate debate will continue to challenge the origin of our daily behaviors and personalities. In brief, many early philosophers, including John Locke, were convinced that humans were born a clean slate, void of any initial behavioral tendencies. They believed that every behavior was due to the influences and experiences the human is exposed to in their environment, also known as nurture. In contrast, Darwin's evolutionary theory inspired a new branch of evolutionary psychology, in which psychologists suggested that memory, emotion, and personality are adaptive functions for survival and reproduction. Evolutionary psychologists believed that genes were much more important in determining behaviors, rather than environment. So the debate remains, whether our behavior is determined by our experiences in our external environment, or our internal genetic make-up due to evolution.
While today it is generally accepted through substantial research that behavior is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors, there are still many implications when investigating many issues in our society today. For example, on average, wealthy students tend to perform scholastically at a higher level than financially less fortunate students. The nature vs. nurture debate questions whether the wealthier students are predisposed to a healthier learning environment, or if they have acquired a genetic make-up more suitable for higher academic performance. In another example, many debate the origins of homosexuality, and whether it is genetic in nature or caused by nurture. Many U.S. researchers have identified genes that they believe to be related to homosexuality, while many religious leaders believe that homosexuality is an unnatural, learned behavior. These are just a few examples of how the debate between nature vs. nurture will always be present when identifying the causation of behaviors.
This is a video exemplifying the implications of nature vs. nurture theory in studies of homosexuality.
Matthew S. Barg