Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. The nature versus nurture debate in psychology puts into consideration the role played by genetics and the environment to shape human personality or behavior. According to Dick (2011) the gene-environment interaction, denoted as GxE has been a central debate in psychology with authors concluding that both have a significant role in shaping behavior. However, it is important establishing which between the two plays a more cardinal role in psychology.
Genes are inherited from parents during sexual reproduction. They are coded instructions stored in the chromosomes dictating how a person is made. Considering that behaviors are part of phenotypic characteristics expressed from the human genotype (genes, it can be concluded that a huge part of human behavior is determined by the genetic makeup of the individual. According to Kendler & Greenspan (2006) while analyzing the genetic basis of behavior, psychologists have established a pattern suggesting that genes play a central role shaping behavior. Bae, Jayaraman & Walsh (2015) give similar views asserting that the functioning and development of the human brain is governed and directed by a unique genetic blueprint. The genetic blueprint is a product of inherited characteristics and evolutional changes. Although humans may adapt to environmental exposure through socialization to shape their final behavior, their response is always governed by their genetic blueprint. This means that if two people are exposed to the same variables that are supposed to shape their behavior, their response may be totally different based on their genetic makeup.
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Nurture (environment) is also a major factor in shaping human behavior. Psychologists have insisted on studying human behavior as a product of both nature and nurture instead of exploring the role played by individual variables. The case of identical twins has been used to show that nurture can yield different results in human behavior. If two identical twins are separated at birth and one is brought up in opulence, while the other one is brought up in a poor background, their behaviors and life perspectives will be totally different. The same would occur if the two were separated and introduced to different cultures with different attitudes, beliefs and norms. However, if the two are exposed to the same social variables, there are high chances that they develop closely related behaviors. There are exceptions in this debate. For instance, some behavioral traits such as empathy tend to be determined mainly by genetics. Despite some people being exposed to similar social variables, they fail to develop similar behaviors. This means that genetic make-up is the framework used to determine how a person responds to social forces. Human behavior can also be explored through the reported behaviors and personality. What is reported is a product of the interaction between the environmental forces and the genetic makeup. So, it is hardly possible focusing on either factor independently.
Nature could have a stronger impact than nurture. Human personality is more nature than nurture. The fact that the human DNA is 99.9% similar determines the major similarities across the human species. The similarity can account for the close responses and predictability of human behavior. In humans, personality is not determined by a specific gene. It is determined by the interaction between a group of genes. This is the same for human behavior. The interaction between these genes is needed when a person is exposed to a set of social factors. Therefore, instead of viewing social factors as forces acting on a specific target, it is better viewing considering the interaction between social forces and the set of genes shaping human behavior. Using that approach, it becomes clear that nature is the backbone in shaping human behavior while social forces in the environment simply act on the different genetic factors to yield different personality traits or behavior.
Primary socialization has the most significant impact on psychology. It involves the process where a child learns the values, attitudes and actions appropriate for members in a given social context. These variables are shaped by social forces such as culture and religion. Primary socialization is the most impactful since the child is in a learning-stage where most behaviors are developed. The child also develops in other areas like language and in the process understands how different symbols derive their value in the social setting. Values, attitudes and norms learned through primary socialization are hard to change later in life.
References
Bae, B. I., Jayaraman, D., & Walsh, C. A. (2015). Genetic changes shaping the human brain. Developmental cell , 32 (4), 423–434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2015.01.035
Dick D. M. (2011). Gene-environment interaction in psychological traits and disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology , 7 , 383–409.
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032210-104518
Kendler, K. S., & Greenspan, R. J. (2006). The Nature of Genetic Influences on Behavior: Lessons From “Simpler” Organisms. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163 (10), 1683– 1694. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2006.163.10.1683
