Discuss the nature/nurture debate in relation to
individual development
In this essay, I will be discussing the nature/nurture debate in regards to the individual Olivia.
For each life stage of the individual, I will be discussing whether I believe that it was nature or
nurture that influenced how Olivia developed, as well as providing some information as to why
somebody else may disagree with me.
In the conception to birth life stage, I personally believe that it is both nature and nurture that
decided how Olivia turned out when she was born. The genetics she inherited from both her
mother and father determined her skin colour, hair colour and eye colour – as well as how tall
she would be. However, Olivia also developed the way she did from the conception to birth
stage as a result of nurture. Because her mother made good choices throughout the
pregnancy of Olivia – such as a good diet and not smoking or drinking alcohol – Olivia was
able to grow and flourish the way she did. Had her mother made the complete opposite choices
whilst she was pregnant with Olivia, there would most likely be many complications throughout
pregnancy as well as the birth. For example, if her mother took drugs whilst she was pregnant
with Olivia, Olivia could have been born with a drug dependency, low birth weight or could
have even miscarried or be stillborn.
In the infancy stage, I believe that it is again, nature as well as nurture that was responsible
for her development and growth that Olivia went through. Firstly, I believe that it was nature
that was responsible for her development through the infancy stage as she reached all the
milestones that were normal for her age range. She wasn’t delayed in her reaching of
milestones which may be the case for a child with a genetic disability such as
neurodegenerative disease. However, it was also nurture that was partially responsible for the
development during her infancy stage, because without the support she had from her parents’
and grandparents’, she would not have been able to achieve what she had. For example, if
Olivia had not had stories read to her by her grandparents’, she would not have developed the
vocabulary she had developed; additionally, if she was neglected and nobody spoke to her,
she may never have learned to speak – or it would have been very delayed and very limited
vocabulary.
In the childhood stage I think it was mainly the nurture side that was behind her growth and
development, although I still believe that nature had a role to play in her development as well.
Olivia went to a private school throughout her childhood, and this ensured that she was
receiving the best quality education she could have received. She was able to learn a lot more
knowledge and skills when she went to school, stretching her intellectual and physical
capabilities. Had she went to a poor quality school, or not gone to school at all she would not
have been able to achieve what she did achieve, and wouldn’t have developed as well as she
did in the childhood stage. She was also encouraged to read books as a child by her teachers’
in school as well as her family members’, which abled her to expand her vocabulary further.
However, nurture also played a part in Olivia’s development during this stage in her life
because she had no genetic issues that were holding her back from achieving what she could
have possibly achieved. For example, if she had autism she would have difficulties
communicating and in her language skills, which would have limited her intellectually as well
as socially, emotionally and physically.
In adolescence, I think it was nurture that was responsible for how she developed. Her parents
had a bad divorce which was incredibly unsettling for teenage Olivia and she got in the wrong
individual development
In this essay, I will be discussing the nature/nurture debate in regards to the individual Olivia.
For each life stage of the individual, I will be discussing whether I believe that it was nature or
nurture that influenced how Olivia developed, as well as providing some information as to why
somebody else may disagree with me.
In the conception to birth life stage, I personally believe that it is both nature and nurture that
decided how Olivia turned out when she was born. The genetics she inherited from both her
mother and father determined her skin colour, hair colour and eye colour – as well as how tall
she would be. However, Olivia also developed the way she did from the conception to birth
stage as a result of nurture. Because her mother made good choices throughout the
pregnancy of Olivia – such as a good diet and not smoking or drinking alcohol – Olivia was
able to grow and flourish the way she did. Had her mother made the complete opposite choices
whilst she was pregnant with Olivia, there would most likely be many complications throughout
pregnancy as well as the birth. For example, if her mother took drugs whilst she was pregnant
with Olivia, Olivia could have been born with a drug dependency, low birth weight or could
have even miscarried or be stillborn.
In the infancy stage, I believe that it is again, nature as well as nurture that was responsible
for her development and growth that Olivia went through. Firstly, I believe that it was nature
that was responsible for her development through the infancy stage as she reached all the
milestones that were normal for her age range. She wasn’t delayed in her reaching of
milestones which may be the case for a child with a genetic disability such as
neurodegenerative disease. However, it was also nurture that was partially responsible for the
development during her infancy stage, because without the support she had from her parents’
and grandparents’, she would not have been able to achieve what she had. For example, if
Olivia had not had stories read to her by her grandparents’, she would not have developed the
vocabulary she had developed; additionally, if she was neglected and nobody spoke to her,
she may never have learned to speak – or it would have been very delayed and very limited
vocabulary.
In the childhood stage I think it was mainly the nurture side that was behind her growth and
development, although I still believe that nature had a role to play in her development as well.
Olivia went to a private school throughout her childhood, and this ensured that she was
receiving the best quality education she could have received. She was able to learn a lot more
knowledge and skills when she went to school, stretching her intellectual and physical
capabilities. Had she went to a poor quality school, or not gone to school at all she would not
have been able to achieve what she did achieve, and wouldn’t have developed as well as she
did in the childhood stage. She was also encouraged to read books as a child by her teachers’
in school as well as her family members’, which abled her to expand her vocabulary further.
However, nurture also played a part in Olivia’s development during this stage in her life
because she had no genetic issues that were holding her back from achieving what she could
have possibly achieved. For example, if she had autism she would have difficulties
communicating and in her language skills, which would have limited her intellectually as well
as socially, emotionally and physically.
In adolescence, I think it was nurture that was responsible for how she developed. Her parents
had a bad divorce which was incredibly unsettling for teenage Olivia and she got in the wrong
