Debates examples explanation

Question 1

Nature/ Nurture

What are the AO1 for nature

Answer 1

The nature side of the debate is that behaviour is predetermined through biological causes such as through genes that are inherited and brain structure.

Question 2

Nature/ Nurture

What are the AO1 for nurture

Answer 2

The nurture side of the debate is that behaviour is cause by experience from the environment and from socialisation.

Question 3

Nature/nurture

What is the AO1 from the description of the nature/nurture debate

Answer 3

• The nature-nurture debate is concerned as to the extent to which aspects of behaviour are a product of inherited or acquired characteristics. - Often it is a combination of the two and there are 3 ways in which it is suggested they interact; - the first way is the interactionist approach. This approach suggests that nature can mould nurture i.e. the temperament a baby is born with may affect the parenting style it receives.
• The second way these are suggested to interact is explained though the diathesis-stress model which proposes that an underlying natural cause will be triggered by an environmental stressor i.e. a genetic predisposition of schizophrenia being triggered by smoking marijuana.
• The third suggested interaction is epigenetics which suggests that environment can changes in genetics throughout life i.e. smoking and poor diet.

Question 4

What topics are looked at in the nature nurture debate (for me)

Answer 4

• gender
• SZ

Question 5

Nature/ nurture

Where can the nature (debate) be seen in the topic of gender

Answer 5

Within the topic of gender both nature and nurture can be seen.
- The nature side of the debate is seen in explaining gender with chromosomes and hormones.
- In the case study of David Reimer he was born with male chromosomes and was accidentally castrated in a failed circumcision.
- He was then raised as a girl and socialised that way. He did not believe he was a girl and when he found the truth he changed his gender back to male.
- This shows that nature has a large influence in gender development as he was governed by his chromosomes.

Question 6

Nature/Nurture

Where can the nurture (debate) be seen in the topic of gender

Answer 6

• The nurture side of the debate is also seen in explaining gender this time through social learning theory (SLT).
• In the Bobo doll experiment children watched an adult interact with toys then they interacted with them.
• The experiment found that children were much more likely to imitate the behaviour of their same sex role model than of the adult they saw of the opposite sex.
• This shows that nurture has a large influence on gender development.

Question 7

Where does gender stand on the nature/ nurture debate

Answer 7

Both sides of the debate are present, this suggests that nature and nurture make equal contributions to the explanation of gender development.

Question 8

Nature/Nurture

Where can the nature (debate) be seen in the topic of schizophrenia

Answer 8

• Within the topic of schizophrenia (SZ) in explaining SZ both nature and nurture can be seen.
• The nature side of the debate is seen in the dopamine hypothesis which suggests that the neurotransmitter dopamine is too prevalent which causes the symptoms of SZ.
• Evidence of this can be seen in drug treatments where antipsychotics which affect the presence of dopamine have been seen to reduce positive symptoms of SZ such as hallucinations.

Question 9

Nature/ Nurture

Where can the nurture (debate) be seen in the topic of schizophrenia

Answer 9

• The nurture side of the debate is seen in the schizophrenic mother.
• This mother is characterised by being cold, rejecting and controlling (Reichmann 1948) leading to symptoms such as unstable emotion and paranoia.
• Showing that nurture influences development of SZ.

Question 10

Where does schizophrenia stand on the nature/ nurture debate

Answer 10

Both sides of the debate are present, this suggests that nature and nurture make equal contributions to the development of gender.

Question 11

What topics are looked at in the idiographic/ Nomothetic approach (for me)

Answer 11

• Gender
• SZ

Question 12

idiographic/nomothetic

Where can the nomothetic approach be found in the topic of gender

Answer 12

• Within the topic of gender the contrasting nature of both approaches can be seen.
• The nomothetic approach suggests that gender can be explained using lab experiments and their findings can be applied to everyone.
• An example of this is Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment. In this experiment 72 children evenly split in gender were split into groups and watched a video of a role model playing with the bobo doll and found that boys were more likely to imitate their same sex role model.

Question 13

Idiographic/ nomothetic

Where can the idiographic approach be seen in the topic of gender

Answer 13

• Without the ideographic approach however it would be believed that gender is learned rather than biological
• but with the case study of David Reimer who was castrated as a result of a failed circumcision and socialised and raised as a girl. But Reimer never believed himself to be one and when he found out he decided to live as his chromosomes stated – as a male.
• This led psychologist to realise that biology also plays a role in explaining gender.

Question 14

Where does gender stand on the idiographic/ nomothetic approach

Answer 14

Therefore in order to provide a complete study of explaining gender both the nomothetic approach using scientific experiments and the idiographic approach using case studies must be used.

Question 15

Where can the nomothetic approach be seen in the topic of SZ

Answer 15

• The nomothetic approach would suggest that SZ can be explained through studies that can then be applied universally.
• An example of genes as a biological explanation of SZ is the Gottesman 1991 study which showed that monozygotic twins who share 100% of their DNA have a concordance rate of having SZ is 48% and dizygotic twins (share 50% DNA) have a concordance rate of 17% both of which are significantly higher than the general prevalence rate of 1% suggesting that genes play a role in explaining SZ.
• Another example of the nomothetic approach is in drug therapies which are given to everyone. - Atypical antipsychotics such as Clozapine block dopamine receptors temporarily and as a result address positive and negative symptoms of SZ.
• Drug therapies take the nomothetic approach in considering everyone the same in their treatment.

Question 16

Where can the idiographic approach be seen in the topic of SZ

Answer 16

there is little or no idiographic research

Question 17

Where does SZ stand on the idiographic/ nomothetic debate

Answer 17

as there is little or no idiographic research in order to provide a complete study of biological explanations of SZ only the nomothetic approach is required.