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Rylie Gumtow

Mr. Ventura

JCC 1530, Period 2

21 January 2021

Nature vs. Nurture: The Need for a Deeper Dive into the Human Psyche

Psychologists are divided about what causes some behaviors, nature vs nurture. “Strict

behaviorists believe that all behaviors are the result of experience” (Cherry). Others believe that

genetics may be the cause while others still believe that nature and nurture are intertwined.

People who are diagnosed as psychopaths and who have sociopathic tendencies are classified as

having antisocial personality disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of

Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Furthermore, this controversy can be seen in the case with people

diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. It is largely attributed to those individuals who

have caused significant harm to other people throughout the course of their adolescence into

adulthood. In order to address this controversy, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

needs to further their research and studies of the human psyche to arrive at a greater

understanding of what causes antisocial personality disorder to better prevent the problems it

causes for individuals who suffer from it.

When discussing the debate of nature and nurture this causes to have to fully understand

the meaning of both and have a clear understanding of why they are so important to what makes

us up as humans. Nature being you are predisposed to be who you are. It is the genetic makeup

and some psychologists believe there is no way of changing that, being. “Nature refers to all of

the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are from our physical appearance to our

personality characteristics. (Cherry “The Old Age Debate”)” Knowing the full definition of
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nature, having a better definition further leads in the direction of having the complete knowledge

and being able to decide which one we derive from. Nurture can simply be defined as it is the

environment that makes you who you are, for example “Nurture refers to all the environmental

variables that impact who we are, including our early childhood experiences, how we were

raised, our social relationships, and our surrounding culture.” (Cherry, “The Old Debate”)” Some

psychologists believe they are intertwined and perform together as one, but with more research

can we prove is it one or the other? When continuing to look into both sides they each have their

differences. Nature simply being humans have a genetic code and everything is inherited through

the parents, and Nurture being the variables around you, the things a child takes in around them

when growing up. Both derive from completely different objectives but both theories make us up

as humans.

When looking at both sides, nativists take the nature side, believing we are all

predisposed to be someone and nothing can change that. It’s the genetic code in our brains that

make a person who they are. For example, it’s in some people’s nature to always trust people or

how it’s in someone’s nature to hate the world around them, this theory comes in many factors.

Then there are the empiricists who believe humans develop everything from learning and

experience. In referencing those individuals with a diagnosis of anti- social personality disorder.

“Psychopaths who demonstrate a wide range of persistent and anti-social behavior; anti-social

personality disorder encompasses criminally psychopathic behaviors marked by a lifelong

pattern of the manipulation and violence of others’ rights. (Leary)” The big question is where do

these individuals fall? With research can there be a better understanding and therefore help them

at an early age and possibly prevent them from committing heinous acts.
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Most psychologists believe nurture is the more logical side of the debate. When growing

up as a child, being surrounded by loving caring parents, that child too will most likely turn out

that way because it is all the child knows, the brain sees those actions and remembers them, the

child adapted that mindset of being a lovable person. “Other well- known thinkers such as John

Locke believed in what is known as Tabula Rasa, which suggests that the mind begins as a blank

slate. According to this notion, everything that we are and all of our knowledge is determined by

our experience. (Cherry “The Age Old Debate”)” We grow from what we know, also, if a child

is raised in a household where the father is abusive either to his wife or his whole family, the

child then will show aggressive behavior as a result, in many cases the child will show anti-

personality disorders. This can also lead to someone developing psychopathic and sociopathic

tendencies as they grow. In many cases, leading them to either hating their fathers and creating a

fantasy of wanting to do what their father did to their mother, or siding with the father creating a

hatred for women, and in many cases show results in the child to grow up and play out these

fantasies in violence and hatred. Children exposed to violence at a young age can develop

psychopathic tendencies and start showing violence against animals or humans. Conducting

more research, and testing would be able to stop this from even happening, or create options for

children and or adults to go to get treatment.

Another side for nurture that many psychologists mention and discuss is behaviorism,

“also known as behavioral psychology, is a theory of learning based on the idea that all

behaviors are acquired through conditioning, Conditioning occurs through interaction with the

environment. Behaviorists believe that our responses to environmental stimuli shape our actions.

(Cherry “History and Key Concepts of Behavioral Psychology”)” With interaction between

environments result in how children learn to become someone, as they are still growing and
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learning they start to form a personality, with traits and characteristics that form them to become

an adult. Humans go through life experiences that shape us, learning and growing from them to.

As we develop so do our brains, what children learn results in how that child turn out to be as an

adult.

The discussion between genes and environmental factors is crucial to the understanding

of brain function. “Interplay between genetic and environmental factors. This holds out the

prospect that by studying G x E interplay we can explain individual variation invulnerability and

resilience to environmental hazards in the development of mental disorders. Furthermore,

studying G x E findings may give insights in neurobiological mechanisms of psychiatric disorder

and so improve individualized treatment and potentially prevention. (Wermter)” Studying and

conducting further research could possibly solve the debate of nature vs nurture and possibly

prevent people who suffer from anti- social disorders to develop psychological tendencies.

As nurture is mostly sided with psychologists, many people believe in nature, these

people are called nativists. “Advocates for this point of view believe that all of our characteristics

and behaviors are the result of evolution. Genetic traits handed down from parents influence the

individual differences that make each person unique. (Cherry 2 The Age Old Debate”)” Genetics

such as hair, gender, and skin color can’t be changed and therefore is inevitable. Nativists also

side with humans being predisposed and we are born to be someone and that is unchangeable.

“Characteristics and differences that are not observable at birth, but which emerge later in life,

are regarded as the product of maturation. That is to say, we all have an inner “biological clock”

which switches on (or off) types of behavior in a pre-programmed way. (McLead 3)” Nativists

make solid points for why they agree with the nature side, as they also argue cognitive

development is a factor from this as well. While some of the points they make are agreeable,
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empiricists provide a clearer understanding and representation of their position. For example, if a

child is born with all the same genetics as their parents, with the same morals and values

instilled, and through early adolescence begins to associate with others who may not have the

same views can change one’s ability to compose a different life then what they are “predisposed”

as.

It’s clear that the nature vs nurture debate has continually stumped psychologists as there

is no clear answer as to which one has a more significant influence on human behavior. When

discussing nurture there is no doubt it is more logical than nature. So many factors may play a

role in the development of the human psyche, and while that is true, one agreeable position is

nature and nurture play a significant role in our development and who we are predisposed to be.

Conducting research can further come to a conclusion that there is only one certain answer, and

by doing this there can be more tests and experiments, possibly figuring out a way if we can stop

those psychopathic and sociopathic tendencies before they even start. The NIMH needs to

conduct further research to verify nurture is how we become who we are as people.
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Works Cited

Cherry, Kendra. “The Age Old Debate of Nature vs. Nurture.” VeryWellMind, Vol.1 Num.1, reviewed

by David Susman, 3 June. 2020, pp. 1-4. Access Date: 12 December 2020.

Cherry, Kendra. “History and Key Concepts of Behavioral Psychology.” VeryWellMind, Vol.2.Num.1,

reviewed by Steven Gans, 24 September 2019, pp. 1-6. Access Date: 12 December 2020.

Leary, Terence. “Serial Killers and Intelligence Levels: Variability, Patterns, and Motivations to Kill.”

North American Journal of Psychology, Vol.21, Iss.4, Winter Garden, Dec. 2019, pp. 787-800.

Access Date: 27 October 2020.

Wermeter, Anne-Kathrin. “From Nature Versus Nurture, Via Nature and Nurture, to Gene x

Environment Interaction in Mental Disorders.” European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol.

19, Iss.3, European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2010 March. pp. 199-210. Access Date: 27

October 2020.