Nature Vs Nurture: The Nature Nurture Debate

Medically reviewed by Arianna Williams, LPC, CCTP

Updated October 11, 2024by BetterHelp Editorial Team

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The nature versus nurture debate

The nature vs. nurture debate delves into the complex interplay between genetic inheritance and environmental factors in shaping human development, behavior, and personality. While our genes provide a blueprint for our traits and potential, our surroundings and life experiences play a critical role in molding these traits and guiding our growth.

Here, we’ll explore some fascinating insights into the current body of research on this much-discussed topic. You’ll learn how the nature vs nurture debate has evolved over time, delve into the wonders of the human genome, and discover the multitude of forces that interact to make each individual truly unique.

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Nature vs nurture overview

Broadly speaking, the nature versus nurture debate centers on the degree to which we are shaped by biology—that is, genetics—and our life experiences. Certainly, both play a role: genetics determines our physical characteristics, including the brain structures that underpin personality, intelligence, and various predispositions. However, our upbringing, culture, and other environmental factors also play an important role in shaping who we are.

The nature vs nurture debate has long been a topic of interest among scientists and thinkers from across disciplines. Now, it’s generally accepted within the scientific community that both nature and nurture are equally important to human development—and in fact, new research in the emerging field of epigenetics reveals how environmental factors (nurture) can influence gene expression (nature).

The nature nurture debate history

The nature vs. nurture debate dates back thousands of years and has been a central topic in understanding human development and behavior. Here’s a timeline of how our understanding of this topic has evolved over time:

Classical period (5th to 4th centuries BCE): Greek philosophers debated whether ideas were inborn or learned. Plato argued for innate ideas, believing that knowledge is inherent in the human soul, while Aristotle posited that the mind starts as a blank slate, with all knowledge acquired through learning and experience.
Enlightenment period (late 1680s-1810s): John Locke championed the idea of the mind as a tabula rasa, asserting that all knowledge comes from experience. Conversely, Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed in the natural goodness of humans, emphasizing that society and environment shape behavior and development.
Discoveries about inheritance (1850s-1870s): Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection highlighted the role of inherited traits, while Gregor Mendel's work on genetics laid the foundation for understanding inheritance patterns. Francis Galton introduced the term "nature vs nurture" and attempted to quantify heredity and environment's influence.
The emergence of psychology (early 20th century): John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner argued that behavior is shaped by the environment, shifting focus from innate traits to learned behaviors. By the mid-20th century, cognitive psychology challenged behaviorism, recognizing innate cognitive structures. Twin and adoption studies provided insights into the relative contributions of genetics and environment.
Modern day: Now, the Human Genome Project and advances in genetic research have revealed the complexity of genetic influences. The field of epigenetics has shown how environmental factors can influence gene expression, highlighting the dynamic interaction between nature and nurture.

Genetics: The nature perspective

Genetics is central to the “nature” perspective of human development. Human DNA contains the genetic blueprint that determines not just our physical traits, but also those that underpin our character and temperament.

Behavioral genetics is a scientific discipline that focuses on the heritability of behaviors and personality traits. Researchers in this field often use twin, adoption, and family studies to help determine the extent to which differences in behavior may be influenced by genes or environmental influences—that is, nature or nurture. Their work has revealed some fascinating insights into the role of heritability.

Genetics significantly influence individual differences in behavior.

Research has shown that virtually all psychological traits are significantly influenced by genetics. That includes not just traits related to intelligence and personality, but also those associated with issues like substance use, mental health, and health psychology. However, each of these psychological traits is determined by many different genes working together, rather than a single gene.

Environmental factors typically lead to greater differences among family members, rather than making them more similar.

In studying personality within families, behavioral geneticists have found that unique environmental influences play a significant role in shaping distinct personalities and behaviors, even among siblings raised in the same household. So while genes may account for similarities between family members, individual life experiences could account for differences.

The influence of genetics on behaviors tends to increase as people age.

As we grow older, our genetic predispositions become more apparent, a phenomenon called genetic amplification. Genes essentially give us a “nudge” towards a particular trait when we’re young, and that trait becomes more amplified over time. For instance, research has shown that genetic influence on cognitive abilities increases significantly between childhood and young adulthood.

Environment: The nurture perspective

While genetics certainly plays a pivotal role in who we become, so too does our environment. While “nurture” may evoke ideas about the parent-child relationship, environmental influences on personality are far-reaching, encompassing not just childhood experiences but also interactions with peers, cultural and societal norms, education, and personal life events.

Psychologists and sociologists interested in human development have uncovered some fascinating insights related to how each of these forces may shape us over the course of our lives. Here are some takeaways from the current body of research:

Unique personal experiences play a crucial role.

Individual experiences have a substantial impact on shaping personality and behavior. Some of the key influences include:

Early childhood development: Parenting style and upbringing play a pivotal role in who we become. Young brains are highly plastic, meaning they are especially receptive to shaping by external influences. Nurturing and stimulating home environments tend to foster strong socioemotional skills, while less supportive or stressful environments can contribute to maladaptive traits.
Relationships: Our relationships can have a significant impact on personality and development. This includes family relationships, friendships, and peer groups, as well as relationships with mentors or role models. These relationships can influence not just our social development, but also self-concept, or the ideas we have about ourselves.
Personal life events: Both in childhood and beyond, the events that shape our life story can influence our personality, behaviors, and predispositions. This can include significant life changes, traumatic experiences, achievements, and failures, as well as the day-to-day experiences that cumulatively impact our development.

Education and media exposure affect cognitive and social development.

Education—including quality of schooling, extracurricular activities, and exposure to diverse ideas and experiences—can have a profound impact in shaping who we become. These experiences can inform our interests, strengths, and general attitudes towards life and learning.

As well as the formal education we undergo early in life, exposure to media can also affect development. For example, screen time is known to harm social and cognitive development by limiting opportunities for communication and creative play with parents, as well as impacting early brain development.

Cultural and societal norms shape behavior and values.

While our families, peer groups, and learning environments may have a direct influence on human development, the broader messaging we receive through culture and society also has a drastic influence on our attitudes and tendencies. People in different cultures have very different views of the self and how individuals relate to each other.

In many Asian cultures, for example, there is a strong emphasis on interdependence, fitting in, and maintaining harmonious relationships. In contrast, American culture often values independence, self-expression, and individuality. These cultural differences can significantly impact how we think, feel, and motivate ourselves, shaping our overall experiences and behaviors.

Nature and nurture

While the ongoing conversation about nature versus nurture is often characterized as a debate, the scientific community is now generally in consensus that our personalities are shaped in equal measure by both nature and nurture: in essence, genetics provides the blueprint around which our life experiences are built.

For instance, a person may have a genetic predisposition for high intelligence, but without a stimulating environment, their potential may not be fully realized. However, the story doesn’t end there—environmental influences can in fact shape how genes are expressed and passed down to future generations.

Epigenetics: How environment can shape genetics

Epigenetics is the study of how environmental factors can influence gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. While genetic traits may once have been thought of as immutable, researchers are now uncovering just how dynamic the genome can be.

New research demonstrates how factors such as diet, exposure to toxins, and even traumatic stress can cause chemical changes in the DNA, turning genes on or off. These changes can affect how cells function, which can in turn impact brain structure and function. This may help explain why, for example, children who experience abuse are more susceptible to mental illnesses like depression later in life.

Because these changes occur at the genetic level, they can even be passed down to future generations. Indeed, there is evidence to suggest that adverse life experiences can affect offspring via epigenetic pathways. In one study, for example, researchers found that the babies of mothers with PTSD had unusually low levels of the stress hormone cortisol, indicating that this PTSD biomarker could be heritable.

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Uncover the roots of your psychology in therapy

If you’re interested in understanding why you are the way you are, therapy may be a worthwhile consideration. Psychodynamic therapy (PT), in particular, may be of interest to you—this approach focuses on exploring how our childhood and life experiences can shape our thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

Psychodynamic therapies have been found to be beneficial for treating common mental health concerns like depression and anxiety, though it can also provide valuable perspective for personal growth and development. You can find a therapist specializing in psychodynamic therapy on BetterHelp, the world’s largest online therapy platform.

With BetterHelp, you can connect with a licensed professional for weekly therapy, plus benefit from tools and features like group sessions, guided journaling, and digital therapy worksheets. Online therapy is known to be just as effective as traditional face-to-face modalities, and many prefer the convenience, flexibility, and relative affordability of teletherapy. To get started, match with a therapist on BetterHelp.

Takeaway

Nature and nurture each play a crucial role in shaping who we are, interacting in complex ways to influence our development, behavior, and personality. While we may be genetically predisposed to certain traits, our environment and life experiences can have a profound impact on how these traits are expressed.

Frequently asked questions

Read more below for answers to questions commonly asked about this topic.

Is nature vs nurture important?

The nature versus nurture debate is the extent to which aspects of our behavior are the product of either inherited (i.e., nature) or learned (i.e., nurture) influences. Nature is what we think of as what we are pre-destined to become and is influenced by genetic inheritance (i.e., hair color). On the other hand, nurture is the influence of external factors after conception (i.e., personality characteristics).

Breaking down nature versus nurture within the psychological science disciplines involves a discussion around the two extreme schools of thought – Nativism and Empiricism. The first is nativism. Eye color, hair texture, skin pigmentation and predisposition to genetic diseases are all a function of the genes we inherit. These facts have led nativists to speculate whether psychological characteristics such as behavioral tendencies, personality attributes, and mental abilities are also genetically influenced. The basic assumption amongst nativists is that the characteristics of the human species is entirely a product of evolution and individual differences can be explained by each person’s unique genetic code.

Empiricism is the opposite of nativism in that it takes the extreme nurture position. Their basic assumption is that at birth, the human mind is a blank slate, or a tabula rasa, and that it is gradually filled as a result of experience. Psychological characteristics and behavioral differences that emerge from birth through childhood are the results of learning and being part of an environment.

Researchers in the field of behavioral genetics study how genes affect behavior and therefore relate variation in behavior between people. Behavioral genetics allows psychology to quantify just how much nature and nurture impact specific psychological traits. Adoption also acts a natural experiment that allows researchers to determine whether certain traits are more or less a product of either nature or nurture or a combination of the two. Studies have consistently shown that adopted children show greater physical resemblance to their biological parents, rather than their adoptive parents.

Another way researchers have studied nature versus nurture is through twin studies. Like adoption studies, twin studies support that psychological traits are extremely inheritable, about 50% on average. In a Twins in Early Development Study, there was found to be correlations between twins on a range of behavioral traits such as personality (empathy and hyperactivity) and the reach of phonetics.

Nature versus nurture is just one way that developmental psychology tries to explain and understand the differences in human behavior and how genetic and environmental factors contribute to those differences.

Is developmental psychology a nature or nurture?

Developmental psychology is the scientific study of changes that occur in human beings over the course of their lives and examines change and development across a broad range of topics, such as motor skills, cognitive development, problem-solving skills, personality and emotional development, among others.

When explaining development, considering both nature and nurture is important. Developmental psychology seeks to answer two big questions around nature versus nurture. The first is how much weight does each contribute? And the second is how do nature and nurture interact? Developmental psychology considers both nature and nurture when it comes to explaining human development since they are both seen as playing a crucial role in determining the development of personality and other behaviors.

Nature nurture theory: Was Freud nature or nurture?

Sigmund Freud stated that events in our childhood have a great influence on our adult lives, shaping our personality characteristics. Freud was of the belief that parenting is of primary importance to a child’s development. These aspects of the theory led Freud to believe early childhood was crucial to the development of personality as an adult. In fact, he focused primarily on the first five years of life as being critical to healthy outcomes.

While Freud was primarily interested in how nurture influences a person’s behavior, Freud’s theory of aggression is steeped in nature. Freud believed that aggression was an innate drive propelled by thoughts and feelings of the subconscious mind. Unlike his belief that personality traits are influenced by a person’s environment during early childhood, he saw aggression as something that was innate in everyone.

Despite Freud’s flourishing success and contributions to the psychology field, it is clear that even he struggled with the nature vs. nurture debate.

How do nature and nurture affect personality?

As discussed above, there are various schools of thoughts around whether nature or nurture influence personality. However, the contemporary school of thought is that person’s personality is multi-faceted and is therefore a combination of both influences, rather than one being solely responsible.

Personality is not determined by any single gene. Rather, genes work together to determine certain actions. There is no “IQ gene” that determines intelligence. Genes are also not so powerful that they can control or create our personalities solely by themselves. In the same way that personality is not determined solely by genes, it is also not solely determined by environmental influences. Personality is affected by both genetic and environmental influences and because of this, it is something that can continue to be shaped throughout a person’s life.

Nature versus nurture: Does nature vs. nurture affect intelligence?

Intelligence is a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon that cannot simply be boiled down to whether one’s genetics or environment influence intelligence.

Throughout the history of psychology, the nature versus nurture debate has caused quite a bit of controversy. Eugenics, for example, was a movement heavily influenced by the nativist approach.

Psychologist Francis Galton, a cousin of naturalist Charles Darwin, coined the terms nature versus nurture as well as eugenics and believes that intelligences were the result of genetics. Galton believed that intelligent individuals should be encouraged to marry and have many children, while less intelligent individuals should be prevented from reproducing.

Today, the majority of experts believe that a combination of nature and nurture impact behavior and development, including intelligence.

Does nature vs. nurture influence children?

In the past, children were viewed as blank slates, which led to parents believing they could mod their child’s development solely through their actions. The idea put a lot of pressure on parents as it suggested that any decision would impact their child. We now know that this is not the case as their genetic makeup influences aspects of their behavior and personality. Beginning at conception, how a child develops and behaviors is partly influenced by the genes they inherit. Examples of nature influencing characteristics include sleeping behavior and parts of a child’s personality. However, the child’s environment plays a crucial role in influencing which genetic influences play a prominent role.

The reality is that nature and nurture both play a crucial role in influencing child development. In fact, new research demonstrates that environmental influences can actually affect genetic expression and whether or how the genes are expressed in the first place. The research found that adverse fetal and early childhood experiences can, and oftentimes do, lead to physical and chemical changes in the brain that can last a lifetime. Additionally, the study found that variations in DNA sequences between individuals influences the way genes are expressions, but the environment in which one develops, before and soon after birth, provides an impactful experience that chemically modify certain genes.

What are the 6 principles of nurture?

The six principles of nurture include: environmental variables, childhood experiences, how we were raised, social relationships, surrounding culture, and having a sense of belonging.

Is anxiety caused by nature or nurture?

Around 40 million people are diagnosed with anxiety annually. When it comes to mental illness, the nature nurture debate can be quite helpful in shedding light on why some people develop issues whereas others do not. Anxiety researchers cite social learning theory as significant to the development of clinical anxiety conditions. Four ways the development of anxiety can be explained is:

Exposure to a traumatic event can lead to fear and anxiety.
Anxiety and fear are learned by people through watching the reactions and experiences of those around them.
Simply talking about situations, objects, or people can lead to fear or anxiety.
Children may negatively reinforce anxiety by avoiding it, which can lead to the development of a clinically significant anxiety condition.

On the other side of the debate, nature plays a pivotal role in understanding anxiety. Twin studies on anxiety disorders have found a genetic foundation for developing anxiety. However, gene-mapping findings have been less clear. This has led researchers to believe that there may be different genes responsible for the development of specific anxiety disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

When it comes to the nature nurture discussion for just about any topic, it becomes clear that both likely play a role in determining why certain behaviors and health problems arise.

Is aggression nature or nurture?

Examples of nature influencing aggression include Sigmund Freud’s belief that aggression is innate and therefore is influenced by nature. In contrast to this view, Albert Bandura’s social learning theory states that aggression is learned from the environment through observation and imitation. In 1961, Bandura sought to prove this through his famous Bobo Doll experiment. During the experiment, 24 children were shown an aggressive model, 24 children were shown a non-aggressive model, and 24 children were shown no model. The study found that children are able to learn social behavior such as aggression through the process of observing another person’s behavior.

Does nature vs. nurture affect IQ?

A high IQ is not determined by nature or nurture, rather it is a combination of the two. As stated previously, there is no single “IQ gene” that will predetermine whether a person is destined to have a higher IQ than someone else. Rather, it is a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental influences that truly impact a person’s IQ.

Does nature affect intelligence?

Intelligence is a complex trait that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Intelligence is strongly influenced by the environment a person grows up in. Many psych reports show that factors related to a child’s home environment and parenting, education and availability of learning resources, and nutrition are just some of the environmental contributions to a person’s intelligence. Examples of nature influencing intelligence have been studied extensively, however the studies have not conclusively identified any genes that play a major role in differences in intelligence.

Nature and nurture: Is nature or nurture more important?

The current school of thought is that nature and nurture are equally important and that both influence a person’s overall behavior and personality.

Why is nurture important?

While certain genetic factors may create an increased chance for a particular illness or behavior, the probability that a person develops either is oftentimes dependent on environment. One example of this is that the basis for addiction is not thought to be entirely genetic by most researchers. Environmental aspects, such as the habits of parents, friends, or a partner might also be significant factors contributing to whether a person develops an addiction. Similarly, researchers found that while a family history of mental health conditions was the second strongest predictor of mental illness, the strongest predictors were life events and experiences, such as childhood bullying, abuse, or other trauma. Nurture plays a crucial role in how we develop and evolve into who we are in the world.

How do you nurture yourself?

There are many ways to nurture yourself and doing so will have many positive impacts. A technique for treating yourself better is by developing your “Inner Nurturing Parent.” Even if you did not have the most nurturing of familial relationships, you can create your inner nurturing parent by forgiving your past mistakes, making every effort to keep yourself healthy and safe,to love and support yourself. Some tips to get started include telling yourself “I love you and appreciate who you are” at the end of each day or saying “I believe in you” when you’ve had a particularly tough day. Making time each day for things you enjoy and prioritizing your health and well-being by starting a weekly exercise routine are other ways to begin to nurture yourself.

What is a nurturing woman?

There is no one “right” way to be a nurturing person. However, some characteristics of a nurturing person is someone who makes an effort to keep loved ones healthy and safe, listens to and acknowledges their feelings, forgives mistakes, and lets their loved ones know how loved they are. A nurturing person makes mistakes, lets others know when they have made a mistake and accepts responsibility for those mistakes.

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