Introduction
The debate concerning the prevalence of nature or nurture aligns with two contrasting perspectives. Namely, on the one hand, an individual is the product of their genetics while on the other one, a product of their environment. While both concepts are truthful, it is important to highlight the major impact of nurture when it comes to multiple aspects of a person’s life. Thus, one’s environment shapes how one perceives the world, interacts with others, their preferences, and the behavior one exemplifies.
Discussion
In the debate of nature vs. nurture, both elements play a crucial role in development despite nurture being a more significant factor. On the one hand, one’s biological predispositions may have a considerable impact. For example, researchers highlight that one’s learning outcomes are mostly related to genetics (Bueno, 2019). Nonetheless, certain life aspects that are associated with biological implications are highly affected by external factors such as parenting.
Parents are detrimental to a person’s life. An example is a study illustrating that parental stress directly impacts child behavior (Dennis et al., 2018). Even aspects such as internet addictions are acquired as a result of parental control or lack thereof (Shek et al., 2018). Despite the evidence highlighting the importance of nurture, opinions are contrasting concerning the various professions in psychology.
Thus, social workers and psychotherapists would agree with the thesis as they see the product of how the external environment shape people and their life choices. On the other hand, psychiatrists and neuropsychologists who directly approach biological factors, such as genetically acquired mental disorders and the nervous system, would emphasize the importance of nature.
Conclusion
While both nature and nurture have essential functions in one’s development, nurture is a factor that can be shaped and addressed. Moreover, one’s environment has impacts on multiple areas of life, such as choices, ideas, thoughts, and preferences. Thus, nurture is the element that is both significantly impactful and, compared to nature, can be intervened with if the related outcomes are negative.
References
Bueno, D. (2019). Genetics and learning: How the genes influence educational attainment. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. Web.
Dennis, M. L., Neece, C. L., & Fenning, R. M. (2018). Investigating the influence of parenting stress on child behavior problems in children with developmental delay: The role of parent-child relational factors. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 2(2), 129–141. Web.
Shek, D. T., Zhu, X., & Ma, C. M. (2018). The influence of parental control and parent-child relational qualities on adolescent internet addiction: A 3-Year longitudinal study in Hong Kong. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. Web.