The Nature vs.
Nurture debate has had me thinking for the last couple of day’s, and to be truthful it has been stressful, to me at least about this whole controversy. I had asked my clinical director on what her thoughts were on the this debate, and she gave me the best definition I’ve heard so far. She had said, “We are who God made us, which would be nature, and we all have an environment which would be nurture. This seemed eminently logical since often two genetically similar, even identical people (nature) become two different people as they deal with a similar environment (nurture).The definition of moral development to me is the positive qualities of a character, personality and behavior in children. Basically know what is right from wrong in society. Lawrence Kohlberg observed that experiences shape moral understanding of what is fair and just in the environment.
Kohlberg extended his observations beyond childhood, demonstrating that people start with innate personal morals, develop a give-and-take with others, and then grow to understand the moral perspectives of others and of society at large.The definition of personality development to me is, pattern of behaviors and attitudes that makes a person different. Erik Erikson came up with nine stages of Psychosocial Development. Trust vs. mistrust, Autonomy vs. shame and doubt, Initiative vs. guilt, Industry vs.
inferiority, Identity vs. identity confusion, Intimacy vs. isolation, Generativity vs.
stagnation, Integrity vs. stagnation, and the ninth stage, Despair vs. hope and faith.
In our text (Crandell, T. L. Crandell, C. H. & Vander Zaden, J. W. (2009) Human Development (9th ed. Boston, MA.
McGraw-Hill Higher Education. ), Erikson’s nine stages are broken down and explained (p. 40 table 2.
1). Erikson’s conclusion on personality development is that the personality continues to grow and develop through out life. We all have strong opinions about how we became who we are. We need to have these opinions, it’s a part of forming an identity. I don’t mean to suggest that we all believe that genes control everything. Instead, I believe that nature comes first followed by nurture. Genes dispense various design nstructions as our body is formed and prime us with a certain level of intellectual, creative, and athletic potential. Following this, environmental influences develop that potential to some extent or another.
This is what I know to be true, and it seems to make sense to me. References Crandell, T. L. Crandell, C. H. & Vander Zaden, J.
W. (2009) Human Development (9th ed. ) Boston, MA. McGraw-Hill Higher Education Kohlberg, L. & Turiel, E.
(1971). Moral development and moral education. In G. Lesser, ed. Psychology and educational practice.
Scott Foresman.
