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DISCUSSION QUESTION
Student’s Name
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DISCUSSION QUESTION
Briefly describe the psychological perspective that interests you the most, and why. Then,
explain how nature and nurture each contribute to behavior according to the psychological
perspective you chose. Finally, evaluate how the interplay between biology and
environment can impact behavior.
Human conduct can be viewed in a variety of ways. Psychologists employ several
approaches when investigating how individuals think, feel, and behave. Some researchers
specialize in a single mode of philosophy, such as biology, whereas others pursue a more eclectic
strategy that takes a variety of viewpoints. There is no "better" perspective than another; they stress
different facets of human behavior.
After reading and learning about all the perspectives, the one that interests me the most is
the psychodynamic perspective. As the author mentioned, I believe that events that happen in our
childhood can have a significant impact on our behavior as adults (McLeod 2013). When a person
says something to me in jest and then says, " Oh, I'm just kidding, I feel as though they aren't
kidding; they meant what they said; they didn't want to hurt my feelings. I would consider this slip
of the tongue. McLeod said, "Freud used three main methods of accessing the unconscious mind:
free association, dream analysis, and tongue slips." All of these methods do show that the
psychodynamic perspective is valid. Nature refers to the biological tendencies such as inherited
behavior, whereas nurture refers to the environmental preferences such as learned behavior. As
mentioned in the Laureate Education.
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Nurture vs. Nature is recognized as being one of the ancient debates in human history, and
it continues to this day. According to Robert Plomin & Plomin (2017), Nature is defined as
features and characteristics passed down to individuals directly from their parents through DNA.
While Nature may be defined as "all external forces that surround human beings from birth to
death," nurture can be defined as "all external factors that surround humans from birth to their
death" (Robert Plomin, & Plomin, 2017). As a result, experts agree that the elements that influence
human behavior can be broken down into three categories.
First, genes determine human behavior; second, the environment determines human
behavior; and third, genetics and environmental factors determine human behavior. This essay
aims to demonstrate that interactions between Nature and nurture influence human behavior by
concentrating on the function of genetics, environment, and their interactions. In theory, Nature is
the first-factor influencing individual interactions through genetics. To put it another way, heredity
impacts human behavior and trends.
The growing brain is malleable, responding quickly to new experiences and stimulation.
Enriching settings promote healthy brain development, but stress and traumatic childhood events
can cause changes in the brain that affect behavior and learning capacity. Long-term
developmental and intellectual trajectories are associated with early educational experiences and
settings.
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References
Research Professor in Behavioural Genetics Robert Plomin, & Plomin,?R. (2017).?Genetics and
experience: The interplay between nature and nurture. SAGE Publications.
Jayaratne, T. E., Gelman, S. A., Feldbaum, M., Sheldon, J. P., Petty, E. M., & Kardia, S. L. R. (2009).
The perennial debate: Nature, nurture, or choice? Black and white Americans’ explanations for
individual differences. Review of General Psychology: Journal of Division 1 of the American
Psychological Association, 13(1), 24–33. doi:10.1037/a0014227
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
