Nature vs Nurture: Psychological Theories, Ethics, and Milgram

This report delves into the nature versus nurture debate in psychology, examining how behavioral aspects are explained. It analyzes theoretical approaches like biological, cognitive, and behaviorism in the context of this debate, comparing their strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the report exp...Read More

Nature versus Nature Debate

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Nature and nurture debate in psychology..............................................................................3
2.1 Three major theoretical approaches in psychology within context of nature and nurture
debate..........................................................................................................................................4
2.2 Comparison of three major theoretical approaches in psychology and evaluating their
strengths and weaknesses in context of nature and nurture debate.............................................5
3.1 Ethical implications of research in one area of psychology and how it is linked to the
Milgram experiment....................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Nature versus nurture debate in psychology is defined as how the behavioral aspects are
explained on the basis of scale of psychology (Fox, 2017).
The report will analyze nature and nurture debate in psychology. Along with this,
theoretical approaches in psychology will be explained in context with nature and nurture
debate. Further, comparison will be done of approaches by evaluating their strengths and
weaknesses. Furthermore, ethics involved in psychological research will be described and
evaluated in relation to BPS handbook and why they are necessary in relation to psychological
experiment. Therefore, both nature versus nature debate of psychology aspect will be explained.
MAIN BODY
Part A
1.1 Nature and nurture debate in psychology
Nature versus nurture debate in psychology involves the particular aspects of behavior
are a product of either inherited or acquired influences in which the inherited influences are
genetic and acquired are learned influences which hamper the scale through which all possible
aspects are being considered in the range of psychology (Witherington and et.al., 2017). Nature
is the basis of pre — wiring and this is influenced by genetic inheritance and along with this it
also includes other biological factors. Nurture on the other hand is considered as the external
factors which are being influenced after the conception. And this further explains the life
experiences, learning on an individual and the exposure of the product.
Apart from this, the major factor and basis through which the psychology is being
considered as important is due to the behavioral genetics which helps in enabling to quantify the
relative contribution of nurture and nature which are in respect to the psychological traits (Anelli
and et.al., 2018). And for the purpose of analyzing the basis through which nature and nurture
debate are to be made and denoted as prior working forces in psychology, extreme nativist and
nurturist views by the psychological researchers are now interested in how effectively and
efficiently the investigation of nurture is being done in different ways on qualitative basis. For
example — Epigenetics is the emerging area in the nature debate of psychology is being
considered important and is the focus area of the researchers in the recent times. This shows how
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environment is influencing the expression of genes at large scale. The nature and nurture debate
in psychology is concerned with the contribution relatively which influences human behavior
and that includes the cognitive traits, psychopathology, physical traits and temperament. Along
with this, nature and nurture debate in psychology helps in knowing what is the major basis
through which all the aspects of behavioral and genetic changes which are related to both nature
and nurture are consumed and known at large scale.
Nature and nurture debate helps in making and framing the scale through which the
environmental and behavioral concerns are also introduced and this helps in knowing the major
aspects which are known which are related to the psychological processes related to nature and
nurturing both at large scale (Borghi and et.al., 2019). Nature — Nurture debate is the most
scientific, philosophical and cultural debate about the human nature, personality and behavior
which are caused primarily by nurture and nature aspects significantly.
2.1 Three major theoretical approaches in psychology within context of nature and nurture
debate
There are three major approaches in psychology which are explained in reference to nature and
nurture debate. The approaches are described as follows -
Biological Approach — The biological approach focuses on hormonal, neuro — chemical and
genetic explanations of behavior which aims in explaining the basis as what are the
consequences of genetics and physiology. It is the approach in psychology which examines
feelings, behavior, thoughts from physical and biological point of view (Winking, 2018). The
main aspect which is being considered is the physiology and this explains the reason why the
biological approach is connected with the nature debate of psychology. The behavioral approach
also helps in analyzing the main thing which helps in responding to consequences and the
changes which are observed in the human behavior. The genes also play an important part in
behavioral approach of psychology. The genetic system is also connected with the behavioral
approach.
Cognitive Psychology — Innate mental structures such as memory, different perceptions and
constant changes in the environment are identified in the cognitive psychology which helps in
addressing the main aim of the nature and nurturing of psychology. Cognitive psychology is the
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scientific study of the mental processes such as problem solving, creativity, reasoning which is
being done. Models of mental processing were being identified and this helped in analyzing the
major changes which took place at large scale (Eysenck and et.al., 2020). Cognitive psychology
is directly related to the nature and nurture debate of psychology which helps in studying the
basis of both factors. Both the factors nature and nurture, help in identifying importance of
cognitive psychology which helps in making and creating the value through which the mental
processes.
Behaviorism — All behavior is learned from the environment through conditioning and this
helps in making and framing the scale through which possible factors are identified in which
learning is made easier by following the patterns of behavior (Walinga, 2019). Behaviorism
learning is known as conditioning and this helps in knowing how to respond to the
environmental stimuli. Behaviorism is the known as the major source through which reflex is
evoked by pairing of other antecedents and responding to stimuli which helps in knowing the
nature and nurture of the individuals concerning their behavioral patterns at large scale.
2.2 Comparison of three major theoretical approaches in psychology and evaluating their
strengths and weaknesses in context of nature and nurture debate
Biological Approach Cognitive Psychology Behaviorism
1. Biological approach is the
approach which helps in
studying the psychological
issues by analyzing and
evaluating the physical basis
for human behavior and
animals (Winking, 2018).
2. The biological approach is
linked with the nature side of
1. Cognitive psychology is
defined as scientific study of
the processes which are related
to mind, memory, problem
solving, attention, reasoning
and creativity.
2. Cognitive psychology is
linked and comes in between
1. Behaviorism is the
psychological approach and is
the learning of the theory
which helps in analyzing
behaviors learned through
environment interaction and
responding to the stimuli.
2. Behaviorism is linked with
the nurture side of debate.
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debate.
3. Biological is also related
and consists of the genes
which helps in identifying the
biological process which
human being posses.
of both nature and nurture side
of debate in psychology
(Eysenck and et.al., 2020).
3. Cognitive psychology is
related to human beings which
relates to human mind.
3. Behaviorism is the aspect
which helps in relating to the
perspectives which helps in
making and framing the scale
of environmental learning
(Walinga, 2019).
Strengths and weaknesses of the three approaches which have been explained above -
Strengths of Biological, Cognitive and Behaviorism approaches in psychology —
 All the three approaches provide support for nature and nurture in relation to psychology.
 There are various behavior modification techniques in behaviorist theories explained at
large scale (Burke and et.al., 2019).
 More ethical research is being performed in cognitive psychology.
 Biological approach is deterministic. Cognitive approach is used in assembling to the cognitive therapies at large scale.
Weaknesses of Biological, Cognitive and Behaviorism approaches in psychology -
 One of the biggest weakness of the biological approach is that it focuses on nature side in
the nature/nurture debate. All the disorders are being generalized for each situation to be
applied at.
 Behaviorism has the weakness of focusing on the nurture side of debate only and this
creates the problem for the aspect of how the things are being considered at large scale
(McGill and et.al., 2018).
 Cognitive approach focuses both on nature and nurture debate of psychology which
creates the value through which all possible aspects of what are the nature and nurture
debates are clarified which becomes its weaknesses as it gets distracted from the main
aim of how the cognitive approach should be approached towards.
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Part B
3.1 Ethical implications of research in one area of psychology and how it is linked to the
Milgram experiment
The area of psychology which is taken for the study is the clinical psychology which is explained
as the psychological specialty that focuses on mental and behavioral health care of the
individuals. It is also the integration of science and knowledge related to knowing the purpose of
preventing, understanding and relieving the individual thoughts and behavior (Yükselbaba,
2017). Clinical psychology helps in addressing the mental illness which is further explained
through the experiment of Milgram.
The nature of BPS Handbook provides detailed information about the clinical psychology
research area taken with providence of course list which is being mentioned. The nature of the
BPS Handbook is thus very informative and is important for the Milgram experiment which is
undertaken for the study.
The milgram experiment is the experiment which is directly linked to clinical
psychology experiments and helps in serving the society by making and initiating
communication effectively. The Milgram experiment is the obedience to authority figures which
is conducted by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram. In this experiment, willingness
of the participants in studying was evaluated (Gibson and et.al., 2018). Men between the age of
20 – 50 years old were taken from a diverse range of occupations which came from different
levels of education to obey a figure who had the authority and performed the acts which
conflicted with personal conscience. All the participants were led to believe that they were
assisting an unrelated experiment and in which they were administering that electric shocks were
given to 'learners'. It was found in the experiment that very high proportion of subjects fully
obeyed instructions.
There were three individual who took part in experiment — experimenter (charge of
session), learner (actor of experimenter) and the teacher (volunteer for single session). With help
of these three people the experiment took place. The actor had to draw the slip to determine the
role which they would be playing (Zdunek, 2020). And unknown to the subject, the slips drawn
were for the teacher. The learner and the teacher were taken into a room where the learner was
made to sit on the electric chair. And in this the learner would plead that he is condition of
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having a heart attack. And for the actual learning the teacher provided with the actual shock to
the learner and would analyze what the actual shock would feel like. This experiment was based
on how the learner will reciprocate the feelings and emotions which they might feel during the
actual learning of the experiment.
Limitations of Milgram Experiment -
 There is long — term psychological harm to the participants as the traumatic events are
being conducted within the study.
 Participants are not given the right to withdraw is the major limitation in the milgram
experiment (Gibson, 2020).
 The experiment is deceptive as it made the learners know that it is based on learning but
it was on obedience to authority.
Strengths of Milgram Experiment -
 It helped in analyzing how individuals behaved throughout the experiment.
 It is a controlled experiment which inculcates high validity based on internal analysis so
that the effects and cause are established (Gridley and et.al., 2017).
 All the learners were briefed up fully so that no psychological harm was done to them in
the end.
CONCLUSION
Thus, it is concluded from the above report that nature and nurture debate in psychology
was explained. Along with this, theoretical approaches in psychology were explained in context
with nature and nurture debate. Further, comparison was done of approaches by evaluating their
strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, ethics involved in psychological research were described
and evaluated with the help of BPS Handbook and why they were necessary in relation to
psychological experiment. Therefore, both nature versus nature debate of psychology aspect
were explained.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Anelli, F. and et.al., 2018. Nature and nurture effects on the spatiality of the mental time line.
Scientific Reports.8(1).pp.1-9.
Borghi, A.M. and et.al., 2019. Theories and explanations in psychology. Frontiers in
psychology.10.p.958.
Burke, J. and et.al., 2019. Strengths based coaching—a positive psychology intervention. In
Theoretical approaches to multi-cultural positive psychological interventions (pp. 463-
475). Springer, Cham.
Eysenck, M.W. and et.al., 2020. Cognitive psychology: A student’s handbook. Psychology press.
Fox, B., 2017. It's nature and nurture: Integrating biology and genetics into the social learning
theory of criminal behavior. Journal of Criminal Justice.49.pp.22-31.
Gibson, S. and et.al., 2018. Just following orders? The rhetorical invocation of ‘obedience’in
Stanley Milgram's post‐experiment interviews. European Journal of Social
Psychology.48(5).pp.585-599.
Gibson, S., 2020. ‘We have a choice’: Identity construction and the rhetorical enactment of
resistance in the ‘two peers rebel’condition of Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiment.
European Journal of Social Psychology.
Gridley, M. and et.al., 2017. An Analysis of Stanley Milgram’s Obedience to Authority: An
Experimental View. Macat Library.
McGill, R.J. and et.al., 2018. Cognitive profile analysis in school psychology: History, issues,
and continued concerns. Journal of School Psychology.71.pp.108-121.
Walinga, J., 2019. 2.3 Behaviourist Psychology. Introduction to Psychology.
Winking, J., 2018. Exploring the great schism in the Social Sciences: Confirmation bias and the
interpretation of results relating to biological influences on human behavior and
psychology. Evolutionary Psychology.16(1).p.1474704917752691.
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Witherington, D.C. and et.al., 2017. Transcending the Nature-Nurture Debate through
Epigenetics. Human Development.60(2/3).pp.65-68.
Yükselbaba, Ü., 2017. Milgram experiment about authority and obedience. Journal of Istanbul
University Law Faculty.75(1).pp.227-270.
Zdunek, R., 2020. Better-than-average effect in moral domain and narcissism. A variation on the
theme of the Milgram's study.
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