Colby Ross

Sept. 17th

COMD 290

Nature .vs. Nurture

The age old “nature .vs. nurture” argument is about whether human behavior is

determined by the genetic components an individual is born with or if it is because of the

individual’s experiences throughout life. The nature side of the argument explains that the main

effect on language development is rooted in biological and genetic factors which will influence

the individuals ability to acquire language. This argument is based around the same principles

which establish “social Darwinism”, or the idea of “survival-of-the-fittest”. Meaning, those with

beneficial characteristics will be most successful in the environment. It is true that children have

an innate ability to acquire language as they are not passive in the language learning department.

Philosopher Noam Chomsky calls this natural predisposition a “language acquisition

device” (Lanir). This is the innate ability for an infant to map language and eventually form their

own verbal messages without being forced into the learning process.

On the other hand, there is another group of academics who believe that nurture is the

ultimate cause for language and behavioral development. This is the belief that all resulting

language development (and the emergence of most behaviors in general) is the result of the

socialization of the child and the experiences of language in their environment. This category of

psychologists are labeled as “the behaviorists”, and as the name suggests, they believe

everything is rooted in the behaviors observed by the infant which will result in how they act on
the world (SparkNotes). For example, philosopher John Locke theorized that we are all born as

complete blank slates (that is, there are no genetic predispositions for behaviors), or as “tabula

rasa”. In this philosophy individuals are viewed as having an infinite possibility of outcomes;

they are free to set their own fate in a sense. Psychologists which followed Locke used his theory

as the basis for their own theory development in the field of behaviorism.

One of the most renowned psychologists to practice with this philosophy in mind was,

B.F. Skinner. He is most known for his research in behavior modification of rats using a special

device which he created to present the stimuli in a more naturalistic and reliable way; this

invention was named “The Skinner Box”. Skinner believed in the learning process of operant

conditioning, which would explain that language is acquired through association, imitation, and

reinforcement. Essentially meaning that we are all beings who have the ability to be molded by

the environments in which we live in. Behaviorism explains that children learn and develop

language abilities through imitation of what they hear and through multiple processes of

conditioning and habit formation (Lanir). The results of the individual child’s language

development is therefor dependent on them being exposed to an enriched environment which has

given the child all the necessary stimuli to build necessary language skills.

It is difficult to determine which side of the argument is most often an accurate predictor;

however, by studying both genetic predispositions and the environmental causes for behavior, we

are able to get a more complete picture of what is happening, and why. This blend can be found

in the field of “behavioral genetics”, which is the study of the interplay of genetic and

environmental influences on human behavior (Timsit). Neither of these can occur without the

other; the most enriched environment cannot produce strong language development if the genetic
ability is there to support such development; and genetic ability alone does not determine

resulting ability if the child is raised in a completely unsupportive environment. Neither nature,

nor nurture can entirely predict outcomes for an individual. It is a combination of these two

forces that allow the individual to reach their best potential.

In recent years, technology advancement has allowed for further research methods, such

as neuroimaging to understand the extent to which nature effects behavior; and have amassed a

wealth of data concluding certain effects of nurturing on resulting ability. As stated by the article

by Joan Stiles, “The advent of modern neurobiological methods has provided overwhelming

evidence that it is the interaction of genetic factors and the experience of the individual that

guides and supports brain development” (3). Those who accept the two factors of nature and

nurture are intertwined and codependent on each other for resulting abilities are able to see the

bigger picture and get a complete picture of how an individual achieves what they do.

Works Cited

Lenir, L. (2019). First Language Acquisition Development Theories: Nature vs. Nurture.
Medium.com. doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f

SparkNotes: Theories of Language Acquisition. (n.d.). Retrieved September 17, 2020, from

https://www.sparknotes.com/psychology/psych101/languageandcognition/section2/

Stiles, J. (2011). Chapter 1 - Brain development and the nature versus nurture debate. Progress
in Brain Research, 189, 3-28. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53884-0.00015-4

Timsit, A. (2018). A Leading Genetic Expert Tackles the Nature vs. Nurture Debate. Retrieved
September 20, 2020, from https://qz.com/1443795/a-genetic-expert-tackles-the-nature-
vs-nurture-debate/