To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Nature Vs. Nurture Debate
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#3) Describe, explain, and give an example of the Nature versus Nurture debate. (Short Essay) Nature versus nurture has been disputed for centuries. This debate centers on two conflicting viewpoints. On the nature side, people believe that the origins of personality and behavior is set in stone from a person’s genetic code. On the nurture side, people suggest that one’s background and environment mold a person’s character and mannerisms. The answer is probably in between the two extremes, so most modern debaters deliberate on to what degree each aspect affects certain attributes of personality. If “solved,” the result of this debate could determine the best disciplinary actions or child-rearing strategies (Myers, 2010). An example of this debate is in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. In the book, Mr. Cunningham, the father of Scout’s classmate, leads a mob to try to lynch an African-American man the night before the trial. This racist and ignorant…show more content… For example, evolutionary psychologists might research why people are altruistic (selfless), despite the trait being risky to one’s survival. They would explain that people are willing to sacrifice their own well-beings due to expected reciprocation or kinship ties. Since the benefits outweigh the risks, the trait of altruism is passed on to future generations.
• Behavioral-Genetic
Behavioral-Genetic psychology is the study of genetic and environmental influences on human behavior (Cherry, n.d.). Behavioral-Genetic psychologists often play around with the “nature versus nurture” debate, trying to understand to what degree people are controlled by their genes or by their upbringing. Thus, they often work with identical twins because twins’ genes are identical and any differences are due to the environment.
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