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Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity

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Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity What Makes You You? • Each of us is unique. – We look different, we have varying Nature, Nurture, and personalities, interests, and cultural and family Human Diversity backgrounds Chapter 3 Psy12000 1 2 What Makes You You? What Makes You You? – We fear strangers at 8 months. • We also share a lot in common. – We prefer company of those with similar – We share a biological heritage, cut us, we attitudes and attributes. bleed. – We know how to read on another’s smiles and – Shared brain architecture predisposes us to frowns. sense the world, develop language, and feel – We affiliate, conform, return favors, punish hunger through identical mechanisms. offenses, organize hierarchies of status, and – We prefer sweet tastes to sour; we divide color grieve a child’s death. spectrum into similar colors, we feel drawn to behaviors that produce and protect offspring. • This is Human Nature. 3 4 What is the Nature-Nurture What Makes You You? Debate? • What causes our diversity, and our shared . What accounts for our behavioral human nature? proclivities, talents, abilities, personality, pre-dispositions, intelligence, temperament? • How much are human differences shaped by our differing genes? . Are we born with these differences? (Nature) • How much by our environment? . Or, do we acquire these differences from our parents’ influence, societal influence, friends, – From nutrition within the womb to social etc? (Nurture) support while nearing the tomb? – Our upbringing? Our culture? Our current circumstances? 5 6 1 Nature Nature Evolutionary Psychology: Understanding Human Evolutionary Psychology: Understanding Nature Human Nature . Natural Selection: Variations (from mutations or new gene . Critiquing the Evolutionary Perspective combinations) that increase the odds of reproducing and surviving are most likely to be passed on to future generations. Post-hoc? Starts from an effect and works backward to an explanation. An Evolutionary Explanation of Human Sexuality . Males: broadcasting; goal is to increase chances of spreading their . Gives too little emphasis to social genes: seek healthy/fertile/nurturing mate(s) influences. Females: narrowcasting; seek mates with resources and potential for long-term investment in their joint offspring: healthy/security/ . Absolves people from taking responsibility strong mates for their sexual behavior 7 . Promotes Status Quo 8 Nurture and Human Diversity Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity This perspective emphasizes the influence of parents . Developmental Similarities Across and peers: Groups Cultural Influences . Gender Development . Variations Across Cultures . Culture and the Self . Gender Similarities and Differences . Collectivistic . Individualistic . Culture and Child-Rearing . Protective . Punitive . Promote independence 9 10 Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity Nature vs. Nurture Gender Development • Genes • Environment • For “universals,” looks for • Looks for differences as a . The Nature of Gender similarities across cultures (but function of culture and . The Nurture of Gender can account for differences by immediate environment. sex) • Explains common behaviors in • Universals terms of reactions to norms, – Aggression? Reflections on Nature stereotypes, and expectations. – Altruism? and Nurture – Nonverbal expressions • Includes prenatal environment. • Hereditability – IQ – Personality – Temperament 11 12 2 Behavior Genetics: Predicting Individual Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity Differences Behavior Geneticists study our differences and weigh the relative effects of heredity and Similarities Differences environment. Genes: Same set of Genes: Genetic anomalies may chromosomes make us different Biology: Organs and body Biology: May change during functions same development Brain: Asymmetry of brain Brain: Same brain architecture across genders, growth can depend on environment Behavior: Speak different Behaviors: Speak language languages 13 14 Genes: Our Codes for Life Genes: Our Codes for Life Chromosomes containing DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) are Segments within DNA consist of genes that make situated in the nucleus of a cell. proteins to determine our development. 15 16 Genome How Would You Determine Whether Nature or Nurture Were Genome is the set of complete instructions for making an organism, containing all the genes in that More Influential? organism. Thus, the human genome makes us human, and the genome for drosophila makes it a • If you could control your own experiment, common house fly. what would you do to answer the ultimate questions of nature vs nurture? • Why can’t we do these experiments? • What do we do instead? 17 18 3 Twin Biology Twins and Procedures Studying the effects of heredity and environment on Behavior geneticists study the effects of shared and unique two sets of twins, identical and fraternal, has come in environments on total or partial genetic makeup. handy. 19 20 Twins Separated at Birth Separated Twins A number of studies compared identical twins raised Critics of separated twin studies note that such separately from birth, or close thereafter, and found similarities can be found between strangers. numerous similarities. Researchers point out that differences between fraternal twins are greater than identical twins. Separated Twins Personality, Intelligence Abilities, Attitudes Interests, Fears Bob Sacha Brain Waves, Heart Rate 21 22 Adoption Studies Adoptive Studies Adoption studies, as opposed to twin studies, suggest Adoptive studies strongly point to the simple fact that adoptees (who may be biologically unrelated) that biologically related children turn out to be tend to be different from their adoptive parents and different in a family. So investigators ask: siblings. Do siblings have differing environmental experiences? Do siblings, despite sharing half of their genes, have different combinations of the other half of their genes? Ultimate question: Does parenting have an effect? 23 24 4 Parenting Temperament Studies Temperament refers to a person’s stable emotional Parenting does have an effect on biologically related reactivity and intensity. Identical twins express and unrelated children, but not on everything. similar temperaments, even when reared apart, suggesting heredity predisposes temperament. Parenting Influences children’s Attitudes, Values Manners, Beliefs Faith, Politics 25 26 Heritability Group Differences Heritability refers to the extent to which the If genetic influences help explain individual differences among people are attributable to genes. diversity in traits, can the same be said about group differences? For Exam 2, I will ask questions up to and Not necessarily. Individual differences in weight and including this slide. The height are heritable and yet nutritional influences remaining slides are for have made westerners heavier and taller than their your personal enjoyment. ancestors were a century ago. 27 28 Nature and Nurture Gene-Environment Interaction Some human traits are fixed, such as having two Genes can influence traits which affect responses, eyes. However, most psychological traits are liable and environment can affect gene activity. to change with environmental experience. Genes provide choices for the organism to change its A genetic predisposition that makes a child restless form or traits when environmental variables change. and hyperactive evokes an angry response from his Therefore, genes are pliable or self-regulating. parents. A stressful environment can trigger genes to manufacture neurotransmitters leading to depression. 29 30 5 Gene-Environment Interaction Videos and Discussion Genes and environment affect our traits individually, but more important are their interactive effects. Alessia Pierdomenico/Reuters/Corbis Rex Features People respond differently to 31 Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) than Orlando Bloom. 32 The New Frontier: Molecular Genetics Molecular Genetics: Promises and Perils Molecular geneticists are trying to identify genes that put people at risk for disorders. With this kind of knowledge, parents can decide to abort pregnancies in which the fetus is suspected of having such disorders. However, this opens up a real concern regarding Molecular genetics is a branch extension of behavior ethical issues involving such choices. genetics that asks the question, “Do genes influence behavior?” 33 34 Evolutionary Psychology: Understanding Natural Selection Human Nature Natural selection is an evolutionary process through Molecular genetics studies why we as organisms are which adaptive traits are passed on to ongoing distinct. generations because these traits help animals survive and reproduce. Evolutionary psychology studies why we as humans are alike. In particular, it studies the evolution of behavior and mind using principles of natural selection. 35 36 6 Artificial Selection Human Traits Biologists like Belyaev and Trut (1999) were able to A number of human traits have been identified as a artificially rear and domesticate wild foxes, selecting result of pressures afforded by natural selection. them for friendly traits. L.N. Trur, Trur, L.N. Why do infants fear strangers when they become American Scientist American mobile? Why are most parents so passionately devoted to their (1999) 87: 160-169 children? Why do people fear spiders and snakes and not electricity and guns? Any trait that is favored naturally or artificially 37 38 spreads to future generations. Human Sexuality Mating Preferences Gender Differences in Sexuality Natural selection has caused males to send their genes
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