Nature Vs Nurture Example #2 Essay Example
Nature Vs Nurture Example #2 Essay Example

Nature Vs Nurture Example #2 Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (510 words)
  • Published: January 20, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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One of the oldest and still debatable issues in psychology is Nature vs Nurture. This issue talks about genetic inheritance and the environmental factors that might affect the child development. Descartes believed that some things occur naturally or are inborn regarding any environmental influence. Other philosophers argued Descartes and stated that the mind starts as a blank state and through experience and environmental factors it develops and acts and responds in certain ways. psychologist still didn’t not find an end to this debate but have agreed that both nurture and nature affect individual behavior.

Arnold Gesell a psychologist that worked on child development came up with a theory called Maturational theory that related child’s development with genetics and biology. He believed that biological and genetic inheritance can create a path through whic

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h the child behavior can be determined. Gesell stated that a child’s pattern of behavior is due to biology because he is already programmed to act in that way. Gesell stressed on the importance of having a good environment and he studied child’s developments at each stage. His studies helped parents understand better their children and the reasons why they behave in certain ways.

Gesell considered that life experiences and knowledge through learning were secondary, whereas biology and genetics are primary and they are the real reason for a child’s behavior because they program his development. Albert Bandura is a psychologist that also studied the behavior of people and believed that the learning process happens through observing other people’s behavior. He created a theory called social learning theory that combines interaction of individuals between each bother with respect to the

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environment they live in.

In order to conduct his theory, Bandura stated that there are specific conditions that are needed to be present such as attention which can be increased or decreased according to surrounding factors. Retention is also needed and it involves capturing and remembering what an individual witnesses in an image form. Also, reproduction is a key factor that consists of performing what is observed and using physical capabilities. Finally motivation is needed to perform the behavior observed perfectly.

Bandura believed in combining nvironmental factors with behavior and psychological processes to create an individuals personality. Jean Piaget is a psychologist that studied intellectual development in children. After several studies and experiments, Piaget concluded that children are not less intelligent than complete adults but they only think differently. Jean also came up with the cognitive development theory that believes children’s development is initiated with processes that differ according to specific actions and will tend to prosper and alter into mental operations.

His theory involved schemas that are the physical and mental actions that allow us to understand and know things. Assimilation is the combination of old schemas or beliefs with new ones. Also, accommodation is an element in his theory that involves altering schemas due to the introduction of new information. He also insisted on creating a balance between assimilation and accommodation and therefore an equilibrium between old and new schemas.

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