In the concepts that we have covered thus far in the course, there is one that has stood out to me
the most in terms of how individuals become who they are. There seems to be two main schools
of thought on human development, and the long-contested debate on the topic of nature vs.
nurture. My understanding of the concept of nature, or natural, is that the genes that are given to
us by our parents determines our outcome. Nurture, or the way that we have been cared for as a
child, determines the sort of person we will become. From our readings, the definitions of both
are more scientific but similar. By nature, we mean the hereditary information we receive from
our parents at the moment of conception. By nurture, we mean the complex forces of the
physical and social world that influence our biological makeup and psychological experiences
before and after birth. (Berk, 2018, p.5) It is my view the two concepts should be viewed as
complimentary to each other rather than contradictory, being that both concepts contribute
equally to the type of individual we are to become.
For me personally, the nature concept seems to be prevalent in the traits that I believe my father
passed down to me. My father was an alcoholic, as well as his siblings, as were both of his
parents and grandparents before him. It is a trait that not only took the life of my father and other
family members, but it has also inherently afflicted me throughout my life and has shaped the
person that I am today. Even growing up, the addictive personality was prevalent through doing
everything in excess, like eating candy or playing video games excessively. As I got older, it
transformed into drinking and drugs, for which I had absolutely no control over whatsoever once
they were available to me. From a nurture perspective, I also believe that just because a person
may have a predisposition to drug or alcohol addiction, it does not necessarily mean that a person
will become an addict if raised under different conditions. Berk (2018) states that it seems to be a
the most in terms of how individuals become who they are. There seems to be two main schools
of thought on human development, and the long-contested debate on the topic of nature vs.
nurture. My understanding of the concept of nature, or natural, is that the genes that are given to
us by our parents determines our outcome. Nurture, or the way that we have been cared for as a
child, determines the sort of person we will become. From our readings, the definitions of both
are more scientific but similar. By nature, we mean the hereditary information we receive from
our parents at the moment of conception. By nurture, we mean the complex forces of the
physical and social world that influence our biological makeup and psychological experiences
before and after birth. (Berk, 2018, p.5) It is my view the two concepts should be viewed as
complimentary to each other rather than contradictory, being that both concepts contribute
equally to the type of individual we are to become.
For me personally, the nature concept seems to be prevalent in the traits that I believe my father
passed down to me. My father was an alcoholic, as well as his siblings, as were both of his
parents and grandparents before him. It is a trait that not only took the life of my father and other
family members, but it has also inherently afflicted me throughout my life and has shaped the
person that I am today. Even growing up, the addictive personality was prevalent through doing
everything in excess, like eating candy or playing video games excessively. As I got older, it
transformed into drinking and drugs, for which I had absolutely no control over whatsoever once
they were available to me. From a nurture perspective, I also believe that just because a person
may have a predisposition to drug or alcohol addiction, it does not necessarily mean that a person
will become an addict if raised under different conditions. Berk (2018) states that it seems to be a
