Nature Vs. Nurture: The Influence Of Environment On Children

For many years there has been constant debate between scientists about the influence of the environment on children. Nature versus nurture is a phrase that has been used widely to express the long lasting debate about whether we are made by our genes or whether influences from the environment are more important in the construction of us humans. In the world today, we know that our nature (our genes) and our environment (includes our development in the womb, personal contacts, nutrition, parents, friends, the climate, etc.) both together make us who we are as individuals. We are the result of the cooperation between genes and environment. This is why the term nature versus nurture is misleading, it should be “and” instead of “versus”. The issues of the relationship between nature and nurture is often referred to as the nature versus nurture debate, or nativism versus empiricism. A nativist (“nature”) account of development would argue that the processes are influenced by our …show more content…
nurture debate seeks to understand how humans personalities and traits are produced by their genetic makeup and biological factors and how they become shaped by the environment, including their peers, parents, and culture. For example, why do biological children act like their parents sometimes? Could it be because of genetic similarity, or the result of the early childhood environment and what the children learn from their parents? The stance that a theory takes on nature versus nurture is linked directly to its explanation of individual differences in child development. With different points of views and opinions coming from different theorists, it gives parents different views as well. If parents or caregivers believe that development is mostly due to nature, then they would not provide children with activities to stimulate change. If parents or caregivers believe in the importance of early experiences, then they would provide stimulating activities at an early