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Project One: Position Paper
Tiani Rosado
Southern New Hampshire University
PSY 108: Introduction to Psychology
Alexis Bridley
July 28, 2024
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PSY 108 Project One: Position Paper
The field of psychology is quite diverse, encompassing a wide rage of topics and
approaches. However, one of the central and enduring debates in psychology has been nature
versus nature debate. This debate has been going on for many years and has shaped the way
psychologist think about human behavior and development. Psychologist have been undecided
on which perspective to choose and many remain neutral. I believe that nurture has a greater
influence on our behavior because we develop through our environment and what we are taught.
To support my claim I will be using the behavioral perspective. I believe nurture has more
impact on human behavior.
Human behavior is a multifaceted phenomenon influenced by various factors. The nature
versus nature debate delves into the question of whether individuals are born with specific
behavior traits or if their behaviors are shaped by external factors. People who believe nature
impacts human behavior more argue that human development is fully controlled either by genes
or by innate (or unlearned) knowledge and abilities, sometimes called instincts. Nativists point to
the fact that all healthy infants seem to develop some skills, like walking and talking, without
instruction. (Chomsky, 1965 p. 2.2). Conversely, nature supporters believe that when we are
born we are essentially blank slates and our behaviors are shaped by our surroundings and how
we are raised. External factors have shown to influence psychology, as human behaviors forms
the basis of psychology and shapes an individuals personality, action and repossess to life.
My argument that nurture has more impact on human behavior is supported through the
behavioral perspective of psychology. The behavioral perspective emphasizes the influence of
environmental factors on human behavior. These studies aim to understand how external stimuli
impact our action and responses. For example, a healthy newborn does not learn how to cry
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when distressed, but quickly learns whether its parents will respond to the cries. Humans do not
develop in isolation, relying solely on our innate or reflexive behavior—we develop by
interacting with our environment (Garvey, 2005). According to the behavioral perspective
nurture has more of an impact on our behaviors because we learn by who we surround ourselves
with and what we observe as we grow. Environmental factors can be diverse, including how we
are raised, our culture, education, where we grew up and many other external elements. This
plays a huge role in our developmental process.
In conclusion my position in the nature and nurture debate stands that nurture is more
significant in human behavior. According to the behavioral perspective this perspective studies
how an individuals behavior is influenced by forming relationships, observing peers, and
responding to rewards and punshishments. The various external factors such as
environment ,circumstances, and experiences, have a significant influence on human
development and behavior. Therefore, nurture plays a more crucial role in shaping human
behaviors compared to nature.
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