Innate_and_Learned_Behaviour

INNATE AND LEARNED BEHAVIOUR The argument regarding nature and nurture is one that will never be settled, it is one of the oldest issues in psychology. It is not possible to do any controlled experiments to investigate nature and nurture, for example, how could you separate all nurture influences' Nativists, i.e. Gessell (1880-1961) and Rousseau (1712-1778) believe that certain areas of behaviour are innate and they argue that we inherit the qualities that determine what kind of person we will become. They believe that our behaviour is due to our genes. In contrast Rousseau (1712-1778) believed that infants are born with a conscience and a sense of fairness and that human nature is good until it is corrupted by society. Locke and Paiget believe children are innately curious and exploratory, innate behaviour is known from birth, e.g. breathing and blinking, a baby can and does breathe in the womb. Famous empiricists such as David Hume (1711-1776) and John Locke (1632-1704) believe our behaviour is learned. They argue that a child’s behaviour is influenced by the care, attention and emotions that they receive during childhood, for example ‘sleep,’ this can be taught, i.e. if a baby is not picked up as soon as he/she starts to cry then they soon learn to go back to sleep. John Locke (1632-1704) believed that the mind begins as a blank slate (Tabula rasa) and that everything is learnt by experience. By believing in the Tabula rasa theory, he believed that individuals are born without inbuilt mental content and that their knowledge comes from life’s experiences. In Latin terms Tabula rasa means ‘Erased state.’ When investigating the relationship between parent and child, you cannot conclude that nature is having any influence because any similarities could be down to the way that the child is bought up. Can nature affect nurture' The environment can change the way our body and mind work, for example drugs and alcohol, in excess can alter both our mind and body. Due to my personal experience I feel that certain reflexes are born in a baby. I have two children and when they were babies I noticed how they responded to sudden, nearby noises and movement, by extending their arms and legs (Moro reflex). I was also aware that when I touched the side of their mouths with my finger they would instantly turn their head towards my finger and try to suck it (Rooting reflex). Researchers have used the study of twins who have been raised apart by adoptive families, observing them in different environments. There are two types of twins, identical and fraternal. Identical twins are from the same egg, fraternal twins are from different egg cells. According to Wade and Tavris (1998), twins Gerard Levey and Mark Newman were separated at a very early age and grew up in different cities. When Wade and Tavris researched the twins they found them both to have many similarities; Both are bachelors’ and both are fire-fighters, they both have the same hobbies and favourite food, so from their study it can be concluded that genetic influence does play a part in the development of a person. In LIFE magazine (April 1988) an article, “Were you born that way” by George Howe Colt claimed that newer studies show that it is mainly in our genes. Most experts today believe that a childs development and behaviour are influenced by both nature and nurture. So can nurture affect nature'