Jeffery Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and John Wayne Gacy. All very different men with very different lives, but they have one thing in common: they are all sociopathic serial killers. Each of these men came from different backgrounds and had different personality traits, but all had a need to kill. Countless number of scientists and doctors alike, have been trying to figure out the why. One theory has withstood the test of time: Nature vs. Nurture is an age old argument, and many theories have been put forth. New studies and approaches to this argument have created a new position; nature and nurture both impact the creation of personality. Supporters of nature believe personality is predetermined in utero, and at the base level of one’s genetics.
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In a new study, scientists discovered that adopted offspring adopt the traits of their adoptive parents. The University of Exeter and the University of Hamburg recently did an experiment on zebra finches and explain “They found that foster parents have a greater influence on the personalities of fostered offspring than the genes inherited from birth parents.”(“Personality Result of Nurture” 1) This study has shown that the influence of adoptive parents play a major role in a child’s personality development, even if they are not genetically related. Many scientists believe that parents have the greatest impact on personality. Margaret Allen of Southern Methodist University quoted Dr. George Holden’s findings in her article and says “Holden says there are other ways parents influence a child’s progress on a trajectory, such as through modeling desired behaviors, or modifying the speed of development by controlling the type and number of experiences.”(Holden qtd. In Allen 2) The Little Albert Study further supports the nurture theory. The Little Albert Study was conducted on an 11 month old child and a white laboratory rat. The scientist conducting the study, John B. Watson, noticed the child was not naturally afraid of the rat, but he was afraid …show more content…
Macalester College, a leading behavioral science college, states, “In other words, every individual has a destined mental potential, but how much of that potential the individual will be able to gain solely depends on the environment that the individual grows in.”(“Interactionist Perspective” 5) Everyone has potential, but the environment they are raised in can limit or nurture that potential. Children born with destructive traits and show abnormal tendencies, an abusive home can turn them into a “monster.” Dr. Gable states, “For example, some children are born with the tendency to be irritable, impulsive and insensitive to emotions in others. When these child characteristics combine with adult caregiving that is withdrawn and neglectful, children 's brains can wire in ways that may result in unsympathetic child behavior.”(Gable 3) Nature and nurture work together to develop a personality. The University of Colorado’s research on this topic shows “It is the rare case that it is one or the other; for most things that we care about, the effect of nature depends on the level of nurturing that one receives, and the effect of nurturing is contingent upon one’s nature.”(“Nature or Nurture” 1) This new theory has even more evidence than the other two, which is why this theory is becoming more and
In a new study, scientists discovered that adopted offspring adopt the traits of their adoptive parents. The University of Exeter and the University of Hamburg recently did an experiment on zebra finches and explain “They found that foster parents have a greater influence on the personalities of fostered offspring than the genes inherited from birth parents.”(“Personality Result of Nurture” 1) This study has shown that the influence of adoptive parents play a major role in a child’s personality development, even if they are not genetically related. Many scientists believe that parents have the greatest impact on personality. Margaret Allen of Southern Methodist University quoted Dr. George Holden’s findings in her article and says “Holden says there are other ways parents influence a child’s progress on a trajectory, such as through modeling desired behaviors, or modifying the speed of development by controlling the type and number of experiences.”(Holden qtd. In Allen 2) The Little Albert Study further supports the nurture theory. The Little Albert Study was conducted on an 11 month old child and a white laboratory rat. The scientist conducting the study, John B. Watson, noticed the child was not naturally afraid of the rat, but he was afraid …show more content…
Macalester College, a leading behavioral science college, states, “In other words, every individual has a destined mental potential, but how much of that potential the individual will be able to gain solely depends on the environment that the individual grows in.”(“Interactionist Perspective” 5) Everyone has potential, but the environment they are raised in can limit or nurture that potential. Children born with destructive traits and show abnormal tendencies, an abusive home can turn them into a “monster.” Dr. Gable states, “For example, some children are born with the tendency to be irritable, impulsive and insensitive to emotions in others. When these child characteristics combine with adult caregiving that is withdrawn and neglectful, children 's brains can wire in ways that may result in unsympathetic child behavior.”(Gable 3) Nature and nurture work together to develop a personality. The University of Colorado’s research on this topic shows “It is the rare case that it is one or the other; for most things that we care about, the effect of nature depends on the level of nurturing that one receives, and the effect of nurturing is contingent upon one’s nature.”(“Nature or Nurture” 1) This new theory has even more evidence than the other two, which is why this theory is becoming more and