Heredity vs. Environment in

Intelligence Nature vs. Nurture

Hair Color

Health

Gender

Personality

Physical

Strength

Eye Color

In a large group, students will verbally define hereditary and environmentally affected characteristics and provide an example of each with 100% accuracy.

Given a worksheet students will be able to identify in writing the Nativism and Sociocultural Theories and the importance of twin studies with 90% accuracy.

Objectives

The passing of traits from parent to offspring through genes.

Almost all developmental characteristics are affected somewhat by genetics.

Examples:◦ Eye color and hair color,◦ temperaments: calm or irritable disposition,

cautious or adventurous, cheerful or fearful

What is meant by heredity?

The idea that the environment affects the characteristics of a person, traits are not all due to genetics.

Environment includes:◦ Physical surroundings, culture and society

Example:◦ Poor nutrition at a young age hampers brain

development.◦ Introverted or extroverted – some culture value

children’s input others think children should listen and not talk.

What is meant by environment?

Heredity (Nature)◦ Nativism Theory

behaviors are biologically built in. Some occur right away others, like walking, develop over time.

Some skills and knowledge, or the basic concepts that they start from, are built in at birth.

Environment (Nurture)◦ Sociocultural Theory

Social interaction and cultural background direct development.

Parent, teacher, friends pass culturally accepted ideas and practices that a person adopt as their own.

Theoretical Perspectives

Scientists can study how big a role genes actually play in a person’s physical and mental characteristics.

As shown, even identical twins differ in characteristics affected largely by genetics.

Proof that both heredity and environment impact a person’s characteristics

Importance of Identical Twin Studies

Nature vs. Nurture is an ongoing debate.◦ Most research suggests that

heredity and environment interact with each other, making it impossible to distinguish their effects without one or the other.

Is it always one or the other?

Hereditary◦ No single IQ gene.◦ Can inherit characteristics that affect intellectual

abilities.

Environment◦ Poor nutrition or alcohol abuse during pregnancy

lowers IQ scores.◦ Moving children from impoverished home to a

more nurturing one increases IQ.

Is intelligence hereditary or environmentally affected?

Because of genetic tendencies and environmental surroundings, each student favors a slightly different environment to learn best.

Different teaching strategies and methods are needed to compensate for this.◦ One student may be visual and another a tactile

learner, stemming from the influence of both genetics and environment.

Heredity and Environment Effects in the Classroom

◦ Intelligence is affected by both heredity and environment. children learn differently because of

intelligence levels that are affected heredity and environment.

◦ Nativism Theory supports heredity.

◦ Sociocultural Theory supports environment.

◦ Twin studies help scientists observe how environment effects peoples characteristics.

Summary