Nature vs Nurture Debate and Child Development

The assignment delves into the longstanding debate of nature versus nurture, analyzing their influence on human behavior. It highlights key theorists like Piaget, Erikson, Freud, Vygotsky, and Chomsky who have shaped our understanding of cognitive and developmental issues in children. The report uses Genie's case study to illustrate Bowlby's attachment theory relevance to neglected and isolated childhoods.

Running head: COGNITIVE AND DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Critically discuss the view that nature is solely responsible for human development
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................2
1.1. Analyze the key issues concerning the nature nurture debate............................................2
1.2. Debate the nature or nurture argument...............................................................................3
2.1. Five main theorists..............................................................................................................3
2.2. Identify and evaluate the key theories of developmental and cognitive practitioners........4
2.3. Apply a theorist’s approach to a psychological dilemma...................................................7
3.1. Evaluate psychological approaches to a range of developmental and cognitive issues......7
4.1. Use research studies appropriately to investigate a range of developmental and cognitive
issues..........................................................................................................................................8
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10

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1. Introduction
This report analyses the situation of Genie by evaluating the cognitive developmental
theories by the well-known theorists in this field and addressing that nurture is solely
responsible for human development. It further discusses about the nature and nurture
viewpoint, which is solely responsible for human development. Genie whose early
development was very much normal, was declared retarded by her pediatrician at 14 months
of age. However just after her diagnosis her family started neglecting as well as abusing her,
which followed until the social workers rescued her (Ugwu and Oboko 2017).
1.1. Analyze the key issues concerning the nature nurture debate
This Nature Vs Nurture debate has been the oldest argument, which has been going on
for very long. Each of them has strong points for which it gets very difficult to understand as
well as decide that whether a human’s development is susceptible in their DNA or maximum
of it is persuaded by daily life experiences and their environment. Though for now everyone
knows that both nature as well as nurture plays a significant role in the development of
humans but still no one has yet found out the answer that in human whose contribution is
maximum, nature or nurture’s (Tabery 2014).
Thus the key issue that arise from this nature nurture debate is that whether or not the
behaviors of humans are decided by the environment that is either prenatal or might be during
an individual’s life or through the genes that one carried from his or her ancestors. As John
Locke in 1690 had come up with the “blank slate view” which stated that in human
development the behaviors that they acquire are mostly from the influence of environment,
therefore supporting the nurture viewpoint and given a little push towards this debate (Singh
2012).

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1.2. Debate the nature or nurture argument
In the nature and nurture, debate in psychology is mainly involved with the extent to
which factors of behavior are an effect of either genetics or learned characteristics. However,
nature is the pre-wiring and is guided by genetic inheritance as well as other biological
factors. On the other hand, Nurture is said to have taken as the effect of external elements
after conception. The nature and nurture debate, thus, is apprehensive with the parallel
contribution that each of them has on the human behavior. In this debate the group that stood
for extreme hereditary positions are called Nativists. According to the advocates of Nature,
the fundamental assumption is that evolution is the sole deciding factor for the characteristics
of the individuals in total. Furthermore, they preach that the differences in the nature of the
individuals is strictly due to the difference in the genetic coding of two people. Contradicting
this view came the environmentalist also known as empiricists whose assumption was that
psychological characteristics as well as the differences in behaviors, which develops via
infancy and along childhood, are the outcomes of learning. However, there are certain
genetic factors that might create proneness for some illnesses but the probability is that an
individual gain that illness depending on the environment that is nurture (Miller and Jones
2013).
2.1. Five main theorists
The five main theorists who have highly contributed to the cognitive as well as
developmental aspects of an individual are as follows-
1. Jean Piaget- Developmental stage theory
2. Erik Erikson- Stages of psychosocial development
3. Sigmund Freud- Psychosexual theory of development
4. Lev Vygotsky- social developmental theory

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5. Noam Chomsky- Theory on language development
2.2. Identify and evaluate the key theories of developmental and cognitive practitioners.
1. Jean Piaget- Developmental stage theory (1896-1980)
Piaget’s stage theory related to cognitive development mainly determines the
development of a child through four stages, which are sensorimotor (birth to 2years),
preoperational (2-4years), concrete (7-11years), and formal (11-15years). Piaget observed
that in the in the sensorimotor stage a child starts to understand themselves as well as their
reality by interacting with the environment. Thus, supporting the case study research
question, which says that nurture that is environment, is important for human development. In
the second stage of preoperational development, the child classifies objects in simple forms.
In the third stage, that is concrete operations abstract as well as conceptualized thinking
starts. Lastly, in the last stage of formal operations deductive as well as hypothetical
reasoning develops which is almost like the ability of abstract thinking of an adult
(Demetriou, Shayer and Efklides 2016). Therefore, as per the research question this theory
through its four stages explains what contribution the environment has for the mind to
processing new information. Moreover, this will guide to understand the cognitive
developments of Genie’s condition.
2. Erik Erikson- Stages of psychosocial development (1950,1963)
Erikson came up with the psychoanalytic theory of psychosocial development, which
includes the following eight stages from infancy to adulthood-
 Trust vs. mistrust
 Autonomy vs. shame
 Initiative vs. guilt

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 Industry vs. inferiority
 Ego identity vs. role confusion
 Intimacy vs. isolation
 Generativity vs. stagnation
 Ego integrity vs. despair
Erickson’s main view regarding this theory was that in an individual the crisis occurs are
of psychosocial nature because their needs are psychological in the individual which is the
psycho which is conflicting with those needs of the society that is social thus, came the
psychosocial development (McLeod 2013). Thus, this theory also emphasizes that culture as
well as society, which are the parts of nurture, are taking place inside the ego to develop to
resolve the conflicts. This will further guide to understand Genie’s emotional aspect of
development.
3. Sigmund Freud- Psychosexual theory of development (1905)
Freud’s proposed theory of psychosexual development is comprised of five stages, which
are as follows-
 Oral stage (0-1years)
 Anal stage (1-3years)
 Phallic stage (3- 5 or 6 years)
 Latency stage (5/6years till puberty)
 Genital stage (puberty to adulthood)
This developmental theory by Freud will help in understanding the development of Genie
from childhood, which takes place in a series of determined psychosexual stages like all other
human beings. These stages are called psychosexual because each of the stages is associated

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with libido on various parts of the body (Kline 2013). This further means that while growing
up physically certain body parts are significant sources of potential frustrations, pleasures or
both. Thus, these stages in childhood are important for building personality in the adult years.
Therefore, it can be related to the case study where Genie’s physical development can be
understood if these stages of Freud are followed.
4. Lev Vygotsky- social developmental theory (1978)
Vygotsky’s theory is important because it stresses on the role that for developing
cognition social interaction plays a primary role. Therefore, from his point of view it is
evident that the community in the progress of “making meaning” plays the central role.
Vygotsky believed that the most important factor is learning and this learning is necessary for
individuals to develop culturally organized in the sphere of psychological functioning
(Newman and Holzman 2013). Thus, this theory implies that cognitive development varies all
over the culture and this development occurs from the social interactions and the environment
plays a significant role in the development of the thought and behavior of the child.
Therefore, this is not only supporting the research question that nurture is important in human
development but also can guide understanding Genie’s social aspects of development.
5. Noam Chomsky- Theory on language development
According to this theory of language acquisition by Noam Chomsky, which stated that
humans are born with a tendency to learn language. However, this theory further postulates
that individuals are flexible to learn languages as well as they are born with the primary rules
for intact language (Owens 2016). The environment majorly influences maximum of the
distinctive details of any particular language structure but according to Chomsky’s view, the
brains of individuals are adaptable enough to have rapidly acquired language at certain stages
of their developmental processes. Therefore, this theory will help in understanding the

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language developmental aspect of Genie’s development because earlier researchers have said
that language development is a learned process but Chomsky has postulated that human
brains are pre-determined to have grasp language.
2.3. Apply a theorist’s approach to a psychological dilemma
This case study however, resolves around a psychological dilemma because Genie
was facing a difficult situation where she was not only neglected and abused but was also
raised in an isolated environment. Here the dilemma is should the father have done something
like this to her daughter? He has not only harnessed her daughter but also kept her naked,
restricting everyone from talking to her. Moreover, he treats Genie like a dog and beats her if
she tries to communicate with anyone for food.
John Bowlby’s attachment theory can be applied to this case study because this theory
states that children came to this world with the biological pre-perceived notion to form
attachment with others, as this will guide them in their survival (Goldberg, Muir and Kerr
2013). However, this lack of attachment can have long-term con sequences like delinquency,
lack of intelligence, heightened aggression, depression as well as emotionless psychopathy.
Bowlby believed that the connection between the infant and its mother in the initial five years
of life is important for socialization and any kind of disruption in this relationship can push
the child towards emotional difficulties as well as antisocial behaviors. In Genie’s case, the
attachment was missing from both her mother as well as from others because she was kept in
isolation.

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3.1. Evaluate psychological approaches to a range of developmental and cognitive
issues.
Cognitive developmental issues on childhood mainly revolve around the development
of thinking of the individuals all over their lifespan. Thinking however, includes the high
mental processes like problem solving, reasoning, then creating, conceptualizing, then
categorizing and remembering as well as planning (Bjorklund 2013). Therefore, as the name
implies cognitive development is all about change. From the psychological approaches
Piaget’s stage theory has highly contributed to the cognitive-developmental issues by
focusing on mainly on the point that individual proceeds through qualitatively various stages
of development. Moreover, Vygotsky socio-cultural theory has also a major role to play
because it highlights on other people as well as on their attitudes, values and beliefs of the
surround environment, which are said to have an impact on the child’s development
((Newman and Holzman 2013). If Genie’s case is referred here, then it can be said that
children who are raised in a two-parent home are more likely to develop much higher
cognitive abilities than a child who has grown up in a single parent home. Thus, parents or
any adult support is important for healthy cognitive as well as developmental growth because
through social interaction and experiences of sharing cognitive as well as developmental
growth is promoted (Gottfried 2013).
4.1. Use research studies appropriately to investigate a range of developmental and
cognitive issues.
James et al. (2013) have stated from their research that maximum of the young people
as well as children are suffering from anxiety today. Therefore, children with anxiety are
facing huge difficulty with friendship, family life as well as in school. Moreover, treatment
for children with anxiety can further help them from developing any mental health issues,

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drug or alcohol abuse in later life. Huerta et al. (2012) has also identified another common
disorder that is autism, which a common developmental disorder in children, which occurs
when the abnormalities are clear from both, parents as well as clinical observation. The early
research on autism have highlighted on the primary abilities of both perception as well as
sensory abilities.
Conclusion
Thus to conclude this report it can be said that nature and nurture debate is an age old
debate which is still continuing as no one is able to reach any conclusion regarding whether
genetics or environment is solely responsible for the human behavior. As the research
question is concerned that nurture plays an important role in the human behavior thus, from
the nature nurture viewpoint it can be said that learning plays an important role in the human
development as no one is born with any talent rather they acquire it. Moreover, five theorists
are there who have contributed in the field of cognitive and developmental issues of children
are Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, Sigmund Freud, Lev Vygotsky and Noam Chomsky. Bowlby’s
approach of attachment is very much relevant with the case of Genie where the child was
neglected, abused and raised in isolation.

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References
Bjorklund, D.F. ed., 2013. Children's strategies: Contemporary views of cognitive
development. Psychology Press.
Demetriou, A., Shayer, M. and Efklides, A. eds., 2016. Neo-Piagetian theories of cognitive
development: Implications and applications for education. Routledge.
Goldberg, S., Muir, R. and Kerr, J. eds., 2013. Attachment theory: Social, developmental, and
clinical perspectives. Routledge.
Gottfried, A.W. ed., 2013. Home environment and early cognitive development: Longitudinal
research. Academic Press.
Huerta, M., Bishop, S.L., Duncan, A., Hus, V. and Lord, C., 2012. Application of DSM-5
criteria for autism spectrum disorder to three samples of children with DSM-IV diagnoses of
pervasive developmental disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 169(10), pp.1056-1064.
James, A.C., James, G., Cowdrey, F.A., Soler, A. and Choke, A., 2013. Cognitive
behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database
Syst Rev, 6.
Kline, P., 2013. Fact and Fantasy in Freudian Theory (RLE: Freud). Routledge.
McLeod, S., 2013. Erik Erikson. Retrieved August, 9, p.2013.
Miller, G.W. and Jones, D.P., 2013. The nature of nurture: refining the definition of the
exposome. toxicological sciences, 137(1), pp.1-2.
Newman, F. and Holzman, L., 2013. Lev Vygotsky (Classic Edition): Revolutionary
Scientist. Psychology Press.

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Owens Jr, R.E., 2016. Language Development: An Introduction| Edition: 9. Instructor.
Singh, I., 2012. Human development, nature and nurture: Working beyond the
divide. BioSocieties, 7(3), pp.308-321.
Tabery, J., 2014. Beyond versus: The struggle to understand the interaction of nature and
nurture. MIT Press.
Ugwu, E.C. and Oboko, U., 2017. LANGUAGE: BRAIN, HUMAN PROCESSING AND
DISORDER. Awka Journal of English Language and Literary Studies, 6(1), pp.114-128.