Nature Vs Nurture and Intelligence
Tyler Ross
Dr. Reno
English 101
November 27, 2012
Nature vs. Nurture and Intelligence
For centuries scientists and doctors have debated the belief of which has more of an effect on the development of our intelligence, nature or nurture. There have been numerous experiments and studies concerning the topic that have displayed surprising results. Such results show that intelligence is likely, as with many other aspects, a combination of the two having partial influences.
Both nature and nurture have substantial impacts on our development but not everyone is aware of what they mean. To understand the two sides one must first know their meanings. Nature is the belief that when someone is born, they are like an empty book and the environment influences them as they go through life and write on these pages. Nurture is quite the opposite; nurture is like someone being born and the book already having all the pages filled so the story is essentially written from day one. In reality neither of these scenarios exists, instead the book is filled with only the table of contents and the chapter titles and it is the environment that decides what is written on the pages. Studies have discovered a vital phase in our development that brings these two sides together.
The key factor that helps bring these two topics together is the all-important imprinting phase which is the environment influencing our natural make up. Our brains are programmed to learn specific things at specific times in our lives. The capacity for language is a fine example; there is a specific phase during our early development where if we do not begin to learn any form of language then we will struggle later to grasp the idea of speaking, writing or even understanding what someone says. The same can be linked to our intelligence. Over the course of our youth and into early adulthood there is a vital time frame where our ability to learn is at it’s peak. This is the all important imprinting period which is not only found in humans but can be seen in species of all types around the world.
Returning to the book metaphor, as we go through our lives we experience things that fill in all the blank pages found within our books. These experiences influence the development of our behavior, intelligence included, and the effect of these experiences interacts with our genes and physical traits that nature has presented us with to start the story off. Nature and nurture work together to shape who we become rather than one or the other having a greater hold over the outcome.
Dr. Reno
English 101
November 27, 2012
Nature vs. Nurture and Intelligence
For centuries scientists and doctors have debated the belief of which has more of an effect on the development of our intelligence, nature or nurture. There have been numerous experiments and studies concerning the topic that have displayed surprising results. Such results show that intelligence is likely, as with many other aspects, a combination of the two having partial influences.
Both nature and nurture have substantial impacts on our development but not everyone is aware of what they mean. To understand the two sides one must first know their meanings. Nature is the belief that when someone is born, they are like an empty book and the environment influences them as they go through life and write on these pages. Nurture is quite the opposite; nurture is like someone being born and the book already having all the pages filled so the story is essentially written from day one. In reality neither of these scenarios exists, instead the book is filled with only the table of contents and the chapter titles and it is the environment that decides what is written on the pages. Studies have discovered a vital phase in our development that brings these two sides together.
The key factor that helps bring these two topics together is the all-important imprinting phase which is the environment influencing our natural make up. Our brains are programmed to learn specific things at specific times in our lives. The capacity for language is a fine example; there is a specific phase during our early development where if we do not begin to learn any form of language then we will struggle later to grasp the idea of speaking, writing or even understanding what someone says. The same can be linked to our intelligence. Over the course of our youth and into early adulthood there is a vital time frame where our ability to learn is at it’s peak. This is the all important imprinting period which is not only found in humans but can be seen in species of all types around the world.
Returning to the book metaphor, as we go through our lives we experience things that fill in all the blank pages found within our books. These experiences influence the development of our behavior, intelligence included, and the effect of these experiences interacts with our genes and physical traits that nature has presented us with to start the story off. Nature and nurture work together to shape who we become rather than one or the other having a greater hold over the outcome.