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Nature vs. Nurture: Influences on Behavior and Development Essay

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Introduction

Nature and nurture are two major influences on how people behave, what they want, and how they see the world. Nature is the genes with which the person is born: their natural influences, as they determine the development of their organisms, metabolism, and other basic biological functions. Nurture is social influences and education, which define how a person will perceive the world, which skills they will possess, and which behavior will be appropriate or inappropriate in specific cultural contexts.

Impacts on Human Behavior: Nature vs. Nature

While genetics greatly influences one’s preferences, strengths, and weaknesses, one can be taught everything one wants and use this knowledge to mitigate these disparities. Natural influences are powerful in childhood, influencing how a child perceives the world and which skills are easiest to learn (Houmark et al., 2020). There may be significant differences in children’s behavior based on their genetic determinants.

Some skills may be elementary to master, while others may cause difficulties. Still, there are educational approaches to reduce these inequalities by integrating social and biological perspectives into one educational framework (Houmark et al., 2020). By doing this, one can ensure that children can master the necessary skills, decreasing the inequalities caused by their inherited genetic traits.

Conclusion

Therefore, in genetics, nature influences people from the very beginning of their lives. It determines how the child will perceive the information and what they want to do the most and the least. In addition, due to various genes, some information, skills, and behavioral patterns can be adopted more easily or with difficulty. Nurture, in the form of education, influences how the child will develop and whether they can reach their goals in adulthood. Overall, nurture influences behavior more than nature, as it can be adjusted and developed to the level where a person can learn all necessary skills and behavioral patterns throughout their entire lifetime.

Reference

Houmark, M., Ronda, V., & Rosholm, M. (2020). . SSRN Electronic Journal. Web.

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Reference

IvyPanda. (2026, February 5). Nature vs. Nurture: Influences on Behavior and Development. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nature-vs-nurture-influences-on-behavior-and-development/

Work Cited

"Nature vs. Nurture: Influences on Behavior and Development." IvyPanda, 5 Feb. 2026, ivypanda.com/essays/nature-vs-nurture-influences-on-behavior-and-development/.

References

IvyPanda. (2026) 'Nature vs. Nurture: Influences on Behavior and Development'. 5 February.

References

IvyPanda. 2026. "Nature vs. Nurture: Influences on Behavior and Development." February 5, 2026. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nature-vs-nurture-influences-on-behavior-and-development/.

1. IvyPanda. "Nature vs. Nurture: Influences on Behavior and Development." February 5, 2026. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nature-vs-nurture-influences-on-behavior-and-development/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Nature vs. Nurture: Influences on Behavior and Development." February 5, 2026. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nature-vs-nurture-influences-on-behavior-and-development/.

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