Nature vs. Nurture Debate

Nature Theory

• Children are biologically pre-programmed to form attachments in order to survive.
• Study of imprinting in animals - mainly developed Lorenz' study on birds.
• Believed that attachment behaviours are innate/adaptive.

Nurture Theory

• Maternal deprivation can lead to:
  • delinquency
  • reduced intelligence
  • increased aggression
  • depression
  • affectionless psychopathy

Nurture Theory

• Social Learning Theory.
  • Children are more likely to imitate the people they perceive as similar to them - Bobo doll experiment.
  • Behaviour is picked up from other people in social settings.
    • For example, a teen may pick up "slang" from their peers and the people they spend time with.

Further details on Albert Bandura's experiment in Social Learning Theory card set.

Nurture Theory

• Proposed that the process of classical conditioning (based on Pavlov) was able to explain all aspects fo human psychology.
• Denied completely the existence of the mind or consciousness.
• Believed that all individual differences in behaviour were due to different experiences of learning.