Hot Topic (5/29): Nature versus Nurture

[Cafe GroupAdmin]

From the Discovery Channel website:

Feb. 3, 2009 -- Untangling the mystery of inherited versus acquired traits may be a step closer. Arguments have been long and contentious over how much people inherit and how much they are influenced by their environments.

Researchers led by Frances Rice and Anita Thapar of Britain's Cardiff University focused on reports that smoking by the mother during pregnancy increased the chance of low birth weight and anti-social behavior in children. . . 

. . . "It is now clear that offspring anti-social behavior is more dependent on inherited factors passed from mother to child, as our group of children with mothers who smoked during pregnancy with no direct genetic link showed no increased signs of anti-social behavior," Thapar said.

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Do you think human behavior is due more to "nurture" or to "nature"? Can you explain your beliefs?

[stormcris]

Its both and neither. I was adopted I have certain mannerisms that are directly from my biological parent, certain faces I make and certain ways I make gestures, but I have certain personality traits like patience that is from one of adoptive parents and others are really from no one at all but just the way I was shaped by my own views of the world.

[Malapertinent]

I disagree on a level.

There is a level of nurturing that, if denied, can create problems with kids all the way through their adult life. 

(RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder)  This term is used to describe a condition that generally appears in children before age five, and is thought to result from a lack of consistent care and nurturing in early years. The disorder is characterized by the inability of a child or infant to establish age- appropriate social contact and relationships with others. Symptoms of the disorder may include a failure to thrive, developmental delays, a refusal to make eye contact, feeding difficulties, hyper-sensitivity to sound and/or touch, failure to initiate or respond to social interactions with others, self-stimulation, indiscriminate sociability and a an unusually high susceptibility to infections.

 Erik Erikson's Developmental Stages from birth to death also provide evidence that there is a basic level of nurturing that is paramount to healthy development of "self" or autonomy and is the foundation of a human's resiliency.

Developmental Stages

I think that nature works it's way in, the older kids get, but there are some very basic needs that nurturing provides and are vital to normal development.

There is always, the unusual too.

[PurdueMom]

We are born with certain traits/mannerism and then we learn others... so I guess I believe nature and nurture influence our behaviors. 

As to the study regarding smoking during pregnancy, it seems there is more anti-social behavior in children today than there was when I was a child in the 1960's - and EVERY body practically smoked back then.  I personally would like to see a study wherein children's diets are studied.  Fast foods, junk foods, sodas, food preservatives... I think these are partially the culprits to many hyperactivity and behavior issues in kids today... as well as their living environments.  

[my2boyz117]

Both of course,  everyone has Genetic components to certain degree's and how can nurture &  your environment NOT have any effect on a person?  IMO, it is definitely both.

[TabathaM]

Both.

And it varies for differant traits.

I know many children who were adopted and then later met their bio parents and it's shocking how much they were alike. Even my daughter who's never met her bio father has many of his habits and affinities.

Often I wonder if nurture more decides which of our natural traits come out.

[KaliandKirismom]

Quoting TabathaM:

Often I wonder if nurture more decides which of our natural traits come out.

I think you just nailed it on the head! 

[ArisMom2060]

I think Nature plays a Huge role. Watching my own daughter is prove enough. Her habits are exclusively hers and she did not learn many things from anyone she has encountered but yet she has different responses than my husband and I. I have seen three children raised with the same rules and guidelines and some turned out to be all stars and some choose a different path. I hope to influence the tendincies my daughter already has and hope she will be a strong beautiful woman. Think of people who did bad things - some came from good homes. Some people who have done wonderful things and wonderful people came from not the best of circumstances. I think the biggest thing is how people make use of opportunities they are presented. Even identical twins turn out to be different people at heart. 

[EireLass]

This is an interesting post. I have 2 kids. They're now adults (29 & 26). There is so much about them that are the parents influence. Mannerisms, ways of thinking, etc. Alot of what we try to put into our children. But because they are now adults, away from me, and as much as I was the "big influencer" in their life, I also taught them to be open to what the world was about and could offer. I watch them now and the ideas and thoughts and ways that I would never be for myself. I would have to say in my kids life, it's a combination of nurture and nature.

[jenniamigo]

I actually read something to this effect last night. this was research in the lancet.

"After pre-schoolers and grade school kids ate an additive free diet for 6 weeks, then reintroduced additives into their diets, their hyper-activity levels rose dramatically."

that says something to me considering adhd is 1 in ten kids in our country. I'd say it's time to change our diets big time.

even here i have changed our diet recently and after a week of real food (nothing processed) my sons behavior changed and was able to focus better in school

Quoting PurdueMom:

We are born with certain traits/mannerism and then we learn others... so I guess I believe nature and nurture influence our behaviors. 

As to the study regarding smoking during pregnancy, it seems there is more anti-social behavior in children today than there was when I was a child in the 1960's - and EVERY body practically smoked back then.  I personally would like to see a study wherein children's diets are studied.  Fast foods, junk foods, sodas, food preservatives... I think these are partially the culprits to many hyperactivity and behavior issues in kids today... as well as their living environments.  

[Ethansmom85]

I think every human being is built with a "survival of the fittest" mentality, whether we realize it or not. We do what we need to do to make sure we, and our offspring survive. Those of us with jobs, make a good income, dont need to be as aggressive with that instinct, but picture someone over in a slum in Africa, where disease is high, and food is next to none...they are going to be more aggressive in making sure they themselves and family eat right? Or a homeless woman on the streets of NYC, with her little baby....shes going to be more apt to steal food, when begging isnt getting her anywhere.

I think nurture is something as we have become more civilized, have put more into our way of life. We give to beggars, we donate at church, we kiss boo boos, we no longer really can "discipline" our children the way we were when we were kids, because a pat on the butt could send child services our way....things have changed so much, and I think as a society, we have FORCED ourselves into being nicer, more nurturing people.