Nature vs nurture

The first 200 words of this essay...

Reid Takeuchi

Psych 41

T-TH 11:45am-1pm

11/08/06

Nature vs. Nurture

We know that things such as eye color and other physical characteristics are genetically acquired. But, where does one get traits of personality and talent from? Are they learned or are they genetic? While it is clear that physical characteristics are hereditary, the genetic waters get a bit murkier when it comes to an individual's behavior, intelligence, and personality. Ultimately, the old argument of nature versus nurture has never really been answered. It is not known how much of what we are is determined by our DNA and how much by our life experience.

It has been reported that the use of the terms "nature" and "nurture," as a convenient catch-phrase for the roles of heredity and environment in human development, can be traced back to 13th century France. Some scientists believe that people behave as they do because of a genetic predisposition or an innate "animal instinct." This is known as the "nature" theory of human behavior. Other scientists believe that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. This is