Human development is influenced in a great way by nature, but this is not to say that nature is solely responsible for human development. Although heredity as a natural factor has a significant influence on human development, the environmental factors which are categorized as nurture have some level of influence on the general development of human beings. Nature and nurture interact in different ways to influence the development of a human being.
The genetic makeup of a person represents nature while nurture is represented by external factors such as education and general upbringing. This essay will critically discuss the view that nature is solely responsible for human development. There has been an argument by scientists that nurture is influenced in a great way by nature. The claim that nature is solely responsible for human development is not true. Human development is influenced by the interaction between nature and nurture.
The behavioral and physical characteristics of a human being are influenced by nature. Human beings grow physically as a result of natural genetic processes. The general body size and other physical characteristics are influenced by heredity.
Physical characteristics such as skin color and gender are determined by genetic factors. Psychologists are of the opinion that the early stages of human development are in most cases influenced by environmental factors. The genetic inheritance of a human being influences their development from conception to adulthood.
Human beings can inherit some exceptional talents and hereditary traits that affect their development in one way or another. Nature is associated with biological influences that are normally revealed during different stages of life. Nature is solely responsible for the physical development of humans being while nurture has a great influence on cognitive and behavioral development.
It is important to first of all discuss the influence of nurture on human development to give this discussion a new perspective. It is clear from the earlier observation that nature can not be solely responsible for human development. There are other aspects of human development that can not be provided by nature. Nature influences the physical aspects of human development through heredity while external environmental factors influence other aspects of development such intellectual and emotional development.
Some psychologists argue that nurture begins its influence from the womb. Genetic influences begin at conception, but some of them are normally revealed during the later stages of life. It is therefore very difficult to discuss human development without mentioning the nurture factor. The capacity of human beings to learn things is influenced to a great extent by environmental factors.
There are different dimensions through which the environmental factors that influence human development can be analyzed. The first category is the physical environment that involves conditions within the womb before a child is born and their physical environment after they are born. The social environment also plays a vital role in human development.
Peer pressure from friends and family, and the media content that a child is exposed to at an early age have an influence their general development. Environmental factors can be viewed from different contexts because they affect human development at different levels. Family and friends have an immediate influence on human development while there are other bigger societal factors that influence human beings at different stages of their life.
Politics and the education system are examples of macro environmental factors that have a significant influence on human development. Cultural norms and ethnic values are other examples of bigger societal contexts that influence human development. Families and communities have their own standards that have a certain level of impact on human development. At this juncture, it is evident that the genetic makeup of a person is not solely responsible for their development.
It is important to also discuss how nature affects human development in order to determine its level of influence in relation to other factors. There are different aspects of human development that need to be discussed, but many scholars pay attention to the biological aspects. The physical aspect of human development serves as a platform for development through nurture.
The cognitive abilities and behavioral characteristics of a person define who they are. Human development should be discussed from the physical, emotional, behavioral and cognitive angels in order to have a better understanding. Hereditary abilities and tendencies facilitate the maturation process after conception. The genes that human beings inherit from their parents have some coded information that determines their genetic makeup.
The physical development of human beings from the fetus level to adulthood is influenced by nature. Nature is responsible for all the physical characteristics of human beings. Examples of physical characteristics that are influenced by the genetic makeup of a person include gender, height and skin color. Heredity is responsible for all the distinguishing features in human beings. It also important to note that nature is responsible for all the hereditary traits in human beings.
Human beings inherit some traits and special talents which have a significant influence on their development. The traits that are normally inherited can be positive or negative depending on the genetic makeup of parents.
Human beings are born with both positive and negative traits but nurture plays a critical role in enhancing the positive traits and suppressing the negative ones.
The development of a human being from a fetus into an adult is a very gradual process and it takes some time for some of the genetic influences to be manifested. Language and spatial skills are influenced by genetics and therefore the relationship between nature and nurture is very complicated. The observed outcomes in human development are as a result of nature and nurture.
The factors responsible for human development influence each other in different ways which makes it difficult to categorically state that one of them is solely responsible for human development. Nature and nurture interact to influence the cognitive, behavioral and emotional development of human beings. It is evident from this discussion that both nature and nurture are critical when it comes to human development.
The upbringing of a child has a significant influence on their general behavior. Inherited traits have a certain level of influence on human behavior but environmental factors are the most responsible when it comes to enhancing human behavior. Children behave according to the way they are brought up by their parents and the people around them. The behavioral characteristics that are introduced to a growing child will always be part of them until they become adults.
The development of a child is influenced in a great way by environmental factors. Children can have some inherited talents that require nurturing for them to be developed. Hard work and proper guidance are very critical in the development of natural talents and interests. Children learn how to do things from the people around them and it is therefore true to say that the early stages of human development are influenced by nurture.
The complex relationship between nature and nurture can be understood by studying the influence of environmental factors and heredity on the characteristics of children. There are those children who inherit some disabilities from their parents and end up living exceptional lives as a result of good upbringing. An example of this is when a child who is born with some learning disabilities ends up performing well academically because of good nurturing. The nature-nurture controversy has been around for a very long time and is here to stay.
Genetic predispositions differentiate human beings from other species because of their influence on group and individual characteristics. The genetic characteristics keep on revealing themselves throughout the entre life of a human being. Nature and nurture should not be polarized in any way because their interaction explains the overall human development. The extent of influence is what generates a lot of debate when it comes to human development.
There are certain behaviors and characteristics that one can not determine whether they are influenced by nature or environmental factors. Violent acts can be linked to genetic mental disorders or environments factors such as poor parenting. Most researchers are of the opinion that certain human behaviors can neither be connected to nature nor nurture.
Nature and nurture have a combined influence on the cognitive, behavioral and emotional development in human beings. Environmental and hereditary factors interact to influence important developmental outcomes in human beings. The nature and extent of interaction is what sparks controversy. According to some research findings, the kind of environment that a child is exposed to enhances their genetic predisposition.
Nature and nurture influence human development but it has been a great challenge to determine which one of them plays a bigger role. Many researchers agree that nurture plays a greater role in human development. The argument that nature is solely responsible for human development is not true.
The intellectual and emotional capacity of human beings is influenced in a great way by nurture. People and circumstances within the environment enhance the capacity of a child to learn new things in their early stages of development. Adequate parenting and positive influence from the schooling system determine the number of things that a child is able to learn in the early stages of their life. Positive hereditary traits can not influence human development if they are not nurtured in the right way.
In conclusion, nature is not solely responsible for human development. Nature is in most cases responsible for the physical attributes of human beings but has a very little influence on the cognitive, emotional and behavioral development of human beings. Talents and other traits that are inherited from parents can only be developed through nurture.
It is important to note that behavioral and cognitive development can not be developed by nature. The physical development of human beings is influenced by nature and enhanced in most cases by nurture. Human development is influenced by the interaction between natural and environmental factors. Although nature is responsible for human development to some extent, environmental factors play the greatest role in the overall development of human beings.