Alrighty people,

[DRM]

So I have a debate coming up this Tuesday. This debate in my class, this week, will be one the Nature vs. Nurture theory. I know that it's both, but we have to choose a side. Now to the point already! Which side do you think is MORE influental and why on earth you think that?


Thanks for your opinions.

[OnyxBat]

I don't know much about it but I do know some... Nurture theory. Well just going through situations can change a person, there's different out comes so its not generic, if it were then we will be singled cells but really we are human there are two contributors to make a human and that's why there are different outcomes of it, for example:
A: A boy gets rapped, when he grows up he might become a rapist.
B: A boy gets rapped and he becomes scared of life.
C: A boy gets rapped and he tries prevent it from happening to him or his kin.
ETC,ECT,ECT.
Sorry for the example, this one is more clear and obvious.
So if it were nature you and everybody will just be a copy of your parents.

[Catch]

I think nature. Frankily, beyond media hype people can have several shared experience and something inside them makes them react totally different.

[ape descendant]

Actually, you wouldn't "just be a copy of your parents" if it were up to nature. When your parent's gametes combine they switch up and recombine, sometimes there are mutations, and sometimes certain genes are either switched on or off depending on situations in their lives or even the lives of their parents.

There is a great deal that is determined by genetics, like hormone production which put a great deal of pressure on behavior.

However, human beings, have things like culture and education that allow us to learn to do things that may help us to behave in a way that we would not if we were to solely depend on instinct.

I personally believe that our basic personalities are something we are born with, there is a great deal that we can do to shape the individual through example and active teaching.

One of the interesting things to think about, is that this ability to actively learn new behaviors and to even have culture have are based in the genetics of our species. So at the end of the day, even the ability to nurture is based in nature.

[OnyxBat]

Now this stuff is clear to me (still not in high school yet, so little that I know of this), your post is backed up well, ape. Thank you!

[Ben Lahnger]

While I agree with AD that nature allows for much more variety than people really give credit (I love it when obvious genetic variations pop up after skipping a generation or two), I think that the nurture side probably would be more fun to research and argue. For example, there's all those people who say that women become strippers and prostitutes because of bad relationships with their fathers. Much of the argument there relies on emotional rhetoric, but you get the idea that this would be just one example of the types of environmental causality that you might delve into. Also, I believe there have been some very interesting studies done on twins (particularly twins that were separated at a young age) that would point to different outcomes based on environment.

Since in reality I think it's a faulty premise (as both nature AND nurture are contributing factors), it's just a matter of figuring out what will constitute a win in the debate. If winning the debate depends on presenting the more compelling argument, I think NURTURE presents more opportunities to present an interesting variety of supporting persuasions.

[ape descendant]

Onyx-This is super awesome stuff to look into.

Good places to start tacking this question, biology and psychology. I would suggest biology first, start with the basics and work your way up. One of the coolest things about learning biology is realizing that its pretty much chemistry on a grand and complex level.

Another thing that could help develop a good viewpoint on the subject would be to look into the origins of the human species in general.. but it helps to have your science basics down first.

I must say though, the awesome thing, is that you're thinking about it. Keep thinking and keep learning, because knowledge is fuel for thought.

[OnyxBat]

Thank you Ape!
I already learned about the human reproduction system and evolution and we did the punett square which basically has to do with dominate and recessive genes.

[DRM]

Thank you guys!
I had the debate and dispite my best efforts, nurture won.
My debate team wasn't too well researched. Although I did hear some points from the other side that makes me think (as far as behavior goes) nurture is the bigger influence.

[Alan]

It is. yay nurture!