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4-2 Project One
PSY 108
SNHU
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Introduction
In the psychology domain, the debate relating to nature versus nurture has existed for
a long time. The purpose of the argument is to understand whether human behavior,
including strengths and weaknesses are a result of the generic factors (nature) or they are the
result of external factors (nurture). Generally, people have conflicting perspectives about the
topic. I personally believe that ‘nurture’ or the external factors play a significant role in
influencing human behavior. For supporting my stance on the topic, I have used the
behavioral perspective. aa aa
Human behavior is highly complex in nature and it is impacted by a diverse range of
elements. The nature versus nurture discussion intends to explore whether people are born
with specific behavioral traits (nature) or several factors that are beyond one’s control come
into play and mold one’s behavioral aspects. The people that believe ‘nature’ impacts human
behavior more as compared to nurture have argued that the genes of a person that is
inherent from parents’ shape how a person behaves (Kristie, 2021). On the other hand, the
supporters of ‘nurture’ believe that when human beings are born, they can be considered to
be a blank slate or an empty vessel. The personalities and behavior that are exhibited by
humans are the results of the response to diverse environmental variables. External factors
have the potential to influence psychology since human behavior acts as the foundation of
psychology and shapes how a person thinks, acts and responds in life.
The behavioral perspective of psychology stresses the impact of environmental factors
on the observational behavior of human beings. In other words, it can be stated that the
perspective intends to capture how stimuli affect response of people. Human behavior is
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believed to be something that is learned by individuals. For example, if an individual grows
up in an unhealthy and toxic family environment, he is likely to show signs of aggression or
violence. It can take a toll on the person’s ability to engage in diverse social settings (de
Vera, 2019). According to the social learning theory by Bandura, human beings learn
aggression through imitation and observation in their environmental setting (Koutroubas &
Galanakis, 2022). On the other hand, if a person grows in a loving, caring and nurturing
environment it is likely that he or she will demonstrate behavior that reflects care, and
empathy.
Environmental factors can be diverse in nature, such as parenting style, peers, size of
the family, culture, education, language and various other elements that exist in the external
environment. Watson, who established the perspective of behavioralism, has argued that all
kinds of behaviors that are demonstrated by human beings are the result of the stimulations
that exist in the environment or the consequences of the previous conditioning of an
individual (Kristie, 2021). The things that people observe around them play an instrumental
role in guiding and shape their behavior. The manner in which human beings are raised has
a significant impact on the psychological growth and development processes.
Conclusion
Thus, while concluding the position paper relating to the nature versus nurture in the
context of human behavior, the role of nurture is significant. Nurture encompasses external
variables that serve as stimuli and affect the response of a person. According to the
behavioral perspective of psychology, in the environmental context, a person’s behavior is
influenced by forming relationships, observing others and responding to elements like
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rewards or punishments. The diverse situations, circumstances and variables that people are
exposed to in the external setting come into play and influence how the empty vessel that
humans represent gets filled. Hence, nurture has a major impact on human behavior than
nature.
References
de Vera, M. L. A. (2019). Long Term Effects of Abuse and Violence on Children’s
Behavior. Am J Biomed Sci & Res, 4, 347-53.
Kristie, K. (2021). Human behavior: Nature or nurture? Evolutionary Psychology Exploring
Big Questions. Retrieved September 24, 2022, from
https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/evpsych/chapter/human-behavior-nature-or-nurture/
Koutroubas, V., & Galanakis, M. (2022). Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and Its
Importance in the Organizational Psychology Context. Psychology, 12(6), 315-322.
