Nature Versus Nurture - Nature and Nurture

Nature and Nurture

“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select – doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.” – John B. Watson

The nature side of this debate emphasizes how much of an organism reflects biological factors. But, on the other hand genes are activated at appropriate times during development and are the basis for protein production. Proteins include a wide range of molecules, such as hormones and enzymes that act in the body as signaling and structural molecules to direct development. When looking at the influence of genes in the Nature vs. Nurture debate there has been found to be variation in the promotor region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR). The discovery of this inherited, genetic "happiness gene" is promising evidence for the nature side of the debate when measuring life satisfaction (Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, 2010). The nurture side, on the other hand, emphasizes how much of an organism reflects environmental factors. In reality, it is most likely an interaction of both genes and environment, nature and nurture, that affect the development of a person. Even in the womb, genes interact with hormones in the environment to signal the start of a new developmental phase. The hormonal environment, likewise, does not act independently of the genes and it cannot correct lethal errors in the genetic makeup of a fetus. The genes and the environment must be in sync for normal development. Similarly, even if a person has inherited genes for taller than average height, the person may not grow to be as tall as is genetically possible if proper nutrition is not provided. Here too the interaction of genes and the environment is blurred. It has been suggested that the key to understanding complex human behaviour and diseases is to study genes, the environment, and the interactions between the two equally.