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1. Seven
perspectives of
psychology
2. Overview of
perspective
3. How does the perspective
relate to nature?
4. How does the
perspective relate to
nurture?
5. In your opinion, is nature or nurture more
significant for this perspective, and why?
Use the behaviors listed below to support
your answer.
Neuroscience
How the body and
brain enable
emotions,
memories, and
sensory
experiences
Brain and body development
is influenced by biological
factors, such as genetic
expression (Honeycutt,
2019).
Brain and body
development is
influenced by responses
to changes in our
environment
(Honeycutt, 2019).
Behaviors to consider: Neuroplasticity or
drug addiction
From the Neuroscience perspective, nurture is
more significant. Nurture which encompasses
exposure to external variables like violence,
drugs or any unpredictable stressors play an
instrumental role to influence the brain
development in humans (Gable & Hunting,
2000). Environmental influences such as
childhood socio-economic status can impact the
pace of brain development in individuals
(Tooley et al., 2021).
Evolutionary
How the natural
selection of traits
has promoted the
survival of genes
We are born with instincts
that promote our survival
and the propagation of our
species (Honeycutt, 2019).
Our ability to survive
depends on our ability
to adapt to the changing
demands of life
(Honeycutt, 2019).
Behaviors to consider: Aggression or
compassion
From the evolutionary perspective nurture is
more significant. It basically relates to the
influence of external factors after the conception
process such as experience, learning process, etc.
The exposure to external factors like poverty, or
social injustice can lead to aggressive behavior
in individuals. Evolution involves adapting to a
wider framework in which the environmental
variables are included (Young, 2016).
Behavior
Genetics
How our genes
and our
environment
influence our
individual
differences
Genetic predisposition and
innate knowledge help to
shape our attitudes and
choices (Honeycutt, 2019).
Our lived experience
influences the coding
and expression of our
genes (Levitt, 2013).
Behaviors to consider: Introversion or
extraversion
From the behavior genetics perspective of
psychology, nurture is more significant. The
opportunity to interact in the social setting can
help a person to work on extroversion skills.
Environmental factors like social roles, life
situations, etc., serve as the primary source of
behavior and personality change in individuals
in the long run (Kandler et al., 2015).
Psychodynamic
How behavior
springs from
unconscious
drives and
conflicts
Self-perception is naturally
embedded within our
subconscious mind (Lipton,
2001).
Our awareness of “self”
is shaped by our lived
experience (Lipton,
2001).
Behaviors to consider: Self-awareness or
social awareness
From the psychodynamic perspective nurture is
more significant. The external variables that
exist play a key role to affect the day-to-day
lives of individuals. For instance, high social
awareness can help in building relationships
with others in society. The upbringing of a
person can impact how he reacts to conflicting
social situations.
Behavioral
How we learn
observable
responses
The choices that we make
are instinctual, not learned
(Garvey, 2005).
The choices that we
make are a product of
what we learn through
our exposure to role
models (Garvey, 2005).
Behaviors to consider: Avoiding or defeating
conflict resolution styles
Nurture is more significant from the behavioral
perspective of psychology. The interaction with
other members of society influences one’s
behavior and response to situations. For instance,
in the workplace, one is not expected to act
unprofessionally. The learned behavior can
impact how one interacts with others in the
workplace (Zaky, 2015). So, when a meeting may
be approaching, a person may decide to avoid
conflicts instead of dealing with them.
a
Cognitive
How we encode,
process, store,
and retrieve
information
We are born with innate
knowledge that influences
our attitudes, beliefs, and
values (Honeycutt, 2019).
The knowledge that we
acquire through
everyday life experience
influences our attitudes,
beliefs, and values
(Lewkowicz, 2011).
Behaviors to consider: Language acquisition or
general intelligence
From the cognitive perspective of psychology,
nature is more significant. The innate capability
of the brain of an individual impact his or her
ability to process information. A common
example is the acquisition of language. It is
impacted by how the information processors
within the brain function and help to learn new
languages.
Social-Cultural
How behavior and
thinking vary
across situations
and cultures
Our social behavior is
hardwired, the result of
genetic predisposition
(Kitayama & Salvador,
2017).
Our social behavior is
influenced by the
attitudes, beliefs, and
values that we acquire
within our culture
(Kitayama & Salvador,
2017).
Behaviors to consider: Deviance or
obedience
From the socio-cultural perspective of
psychology, nurture is more important. It
involves the impact of external or macro
factors. Children may obey or act rebellious
based on the teachings in the family and school
setting. The cultural background may influence
whether individuals deviate from general social
norms or obey the preexisting rules. The
experiences, and influences in the social setting
have a major impact on one’s social behavior
(Imperio et al., 2020). a
References
Gable, S., & Hunting, M. (2000). Nature, nurture and early brain development. Missouri: University of Missouri-Columbia.
Imperio, A., Staarman, J. K., & Basso, D. (2020). Relevance of the socio-cultural perspective in the discussion about critical thinking.
Kandler, C., Bleidorn, W., & Wright, J. D. (2015). Personality differences and development: genetic and environmental contributions.
Tooley, U. A., Bassett, D. S., & Mackey, A. P. (2021). Environmental influences on the pace of brain development. Nature Reviews
Neuroscience, 22(6), 372-384.
Young, G. (2016). Nature and nurture: evolution and complexities. In Unifying causality and psychology (pp. 275-302). Springer,
Cham.
Zaky, E. A. (2015). Nature, nurture, and human behavior; an endless debate. Journal of Child and Adolescent Behavior.
