Nativists Vs. Nurturing Approach

At the same end of the spectrum, environmentalists also believe that the environment is the primary influence on a person’s development. Along with John Locke, environmentalists believed “their basic assumption is that at birth the human mind is a tabula rasa (a blank slate) and that this is gradually filled as a result of experience” (Mcleod n.pg.). When children have unique experiences such as social interactions, exposure to different culture, or education, they grow certain traits from these environments. Children that have valuable environmental support tend to thrive and develop beneficial personality traits. Studies have shown that “environment may play a greater role in development when environmental conditions are extreme rather than …show more content…
In opposition to the nurturing approach, “nativists take the position that all of most behaviors and characteristics are the results of inheritance” (Cherry n.pg.). Nativists believe that behaviors are from biological factors such as genetic codes and DNA. Theorists who consider themselves nativists accredits that actions result from evolution. This stance means that genetic traits are passed down through family members which create individual differences. A topic studied by nativists which could be controversial is the evolution of language. Studies have been proven that no human society exists today without a form of communication or language. Most children learn a primary language at a young age which could be argued as innate or taught by others. Although nativists thought they had proof that language and grammar are unborn, language is another matter that needs to be taught by a nurturer. Depending on the environment the child is exposed to when learning to speak, the results of the child’s comprehension and verbal ability have to do with the ability of the educator. Even though nativists do not believe in the nurturing approach, nurturers have the most impactful effects on a child’s …show more content…
Identical twins develop from a monozygotic and are genetically identical. Research has shown that “identical twins have the same genes. Yet as individuals, they can be quite unalike in behavior, in personality, in health, and even in appearance, and they tend to grow more different as they age” (Powledge n.pg.). Even having a shared environment, everyone grows up with different personality characteristics due to the unique experience that one faces. Fraternal twins develop from a dizygotic and are genetically no different than normal siblings. Research has proven that identical twins are most of the time treated more similarly than fraternal twins, which is the reason why more identical twins share common traits. Even studies on separated twins at birth have shown drastic differences in behavior. This is due to the differences in environment and experience which show that nurture forms a person to be an