Blog #1 - The Nature vs Nurture Debate

Nature vs. Nurture

-Eye color: Nature. A persons eye color is determined by their genes. 2 cells join to make a gamete. These cells determine what you will look like.


-Height: Nature. Genetics determine a persons height. For example, if both the parents of a person are tall, than the offspring will also be tall.

-Intelligence: Both nature and nurture. If a student wants to receive a high grade on a test, he or she will study very hard until they grasp all the information to answer all the questions on the test. Therefore it is nurture because the student is studying hard and their environment is allowing them to do so. However it is also nature because again of genetics. If a persons parents are really bright and smart, then there is a high chance that their children will also be intelligent.

-Weight: Both nature and nurture. Obesity and being overweight can be passed down from parent to offspring. If a child's mom is obese than there is a high chance that when that child grows, he or she will also be obese. It is nurture also because if a person goes out to eat at fast food chains every night and is not physically active then their weight will be affected.

-Risk taking: Both nature and nurture. Example: Bob loves excitement and is a risk taker. His father and grandfather are also risk taker.  Nurture: external influences such as friends who "make" a person take risks.

-Profession: Nurture. Chossing a profession is 95% of the time what that person is interested in and wants to do for the rest of their life. But 5% of the time, nurture pressures them into picking a certain profession. For example becoming a doctor.

-Athletic Ability: Both nature and nurture. If a persons parents are Olympic champions then they will also have the good sports trait in their genes. However, it is also nurture because if the child is surrounded by sports and practices all the time, he or she will start to be athletic.

-Smoking: Both nature and nurture. If someones parents smoke, the person can say that it is okay to smoke because their parents do it and start to smoke. Nurture: The people you hang out with. If a person hangs out with people who smoke, then they are likely to begin smoking as well.

-Music Ability: Both nature and nurture. If someones parents are musicians or composers then there is a high chance that they will too be musically talented. Also, nurture because if a person is surrounded by music, then he or she will begin to be musically good too.

-Violent Behavior: Both nature and nurture. Hanging out with friends that are violent leads to a person acting violently as well. At home, if a person is surrounded by violent behavior; after a while, they will be acting violently.

-Heart Disease: Both nature and nurture. Heart disease is hereditary, which means that if your family has it then there is a chance you too might get it. Nurture because by eating unhealthy foods, not exercising and leading an unhealthy life can cause heart disease and other illnesses.

-Mental Illness: Nature because mental illness has some of the highest genetic loading of any common illness.

-Humor:Nurture. Humor all depends on how an individual grows up and what he or she thinks is funny.  


-Interest in Math & Science OR Arts & Humanities: Nurture. I tutor 2 girls everyday after school. Their parents are both surgeons. Medical field is all science and math. Both the girls hate math and science. Therefore, interest in a certain subject is not nature but is nurture.

-Skilled ability to perform in Math/Science OR Art/Humanities: Nurture. Nurture: My above example about the girls I tutor. Their parents are really smart and intelligent. Being surgeons, they are espeically smart in math and science. Their children on the other hand struggle with those subjects.

1) Discuss whether you think nature or nurture is a bigger factor in influencing one's personality and behavior and why?       

      I think nurture influences one's personality and behavior because nurture affects our brains and smarts. For example, children who eat foods that contain lead or any other harmful substances develop irreversible damage to their brains, and this affects their intelligence over time. Also, during the day people are usually surrounded more by society than anything else; school, sports, extracurricular activites.  

2) What factors weigh so heavily on this debate and how do you think we could possibly learn more from it?

      A factor might be where someone is living (location). Nurture factors that trigger an individual to commit crime are influences by social and environment factors. Nature factors that trigger an individual to commit crime are influences by biological and family facotrs. We can learn more about modern day society this way, and see how society has changed over time.