Intelligence - Nature vs Nurture - 1971 Words

This essay is going to discuss the role of intelligence in human beings examining both internal and external factors. Intelligence and whether it is innate or develops as one evolves, is one of humanity’s greatest debates. In everyday life one has to make decisions, solve problems and make sense of the world and what is happening in it. From an external point of view the intelligence of a human being develops through a constructive, cognitive process. Since the 1950s, cognitive developmental researches agree on the now nearly universal consensus that intellectual skills are the by-products of self-governed activity in relation to the world (Bruner, 1990; Gardner, 1985). Considering this, it is difficult to understand that scientists†¦show more content†¦Norman Doidge, the author of The Brain that Changes Itself, states that centuries of believing that the brain was a machine, instead of an organ capable of regenerating itself, gave rise to ‘neurological fat alism’, which meant to be born with a learning disability or compromised intelligence meant that one had to live with it until death (2007). He believes that the brain is plastic or malleable which mean that the brain can actually rewire itself (2007). Doidge states that there is evidence of people who had had strokes decades before and who were deamed incurable, who were helped through ‘neuroplastic treatments’ (2007). Luria, the father of neuropsychology, states that precise knowledge is rarely to be found in textbooks, which can be filled with vague suppositions and likens biological brain maps to those of medieval geographers ‘maps of the world’ (1943). Vinogradov says that the brain is like a muscle because if you train it in the right way, you can increase its capacity (2007). With all this said, the point of view that there are external influences that can affect one’s intelligence, become very convincing. Now that both some internal and external influences on intelligence have been discussed it is imperative to look at a combination of both. Most psychologists agree that intelligence develops through an interaction of organismic factors and environmental factors. An example of this is that the myelination ofShow MoreRelatedNature Vs Nurture On Intelligence4016 Words   |  17 PagesAbstract This extended essay explores the question ‘to what extent does nature and nurture influence intelligence in child development’. Nature in this context is the inborn hereditary characteristics, as well as your genes; and nurture is the environment you’re in, how what is around you affects your personally. The essay starts with the introduction over viewing what I’m going to look at and important definitions and reasons of why I’ve chosen the question. I’m going to look at a brief historyRead MoreIntelligence - Nature vs Nurture1965 Words   |  8 PagesThis essay is going to discuss the role of intelligence in human beings examining both internal and external factors. Intelligence and whether it is innate or develops as one evolves, is one of humanity’s greatest debates. In everyday life one has to make decisions, solve problems and make sense of the world and what is happening in it. From an external point of view the intelligence of a human being develops through a constructive, cognitive process. Since the 1950s, cognitive developmentalRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : Nurture1405 Words   |  6 PagesDecember 2015 Nature vs. Nurture Very few people know that the nature vs. nurture debate actually began early on with famous Greek philosophers such as Plato and Descartes. These two theorized that certain things were inborn and occurred naturally regardless of environmental factors (Cherry 1). Most people began to witness this debate in 1896 when the phrase â€Å"Nature vs. Nurture† was coined by English polymath, Francis Galton (â€Å"Nature vs. Nurture†Origins 1). At this point the nature vs. nurture debate grewRead MoreEssay on Nature vs Nurture1052 Words   |  5 PagesNature vs. Nurture M. B. Liberty University Psychology 101 Nature vs. Nurture There has been extensive debate between scholars in the field of psychology surrounding the Nature vs. Nurture issue. Both nature and nurture determine who we are and neither is solely independent of the other. â€Å"As the area of a rectangle is determined by its length and its width, so do biology and experience together create us.†(Myers, 2008, p. 8) Carl Gustav Jung, and leading thinker and creator of analyticalRead MoreAdoption : Nature Vs Nurture1216 Words   |  5 PagesEric Fraley 4th hour English 3 Mrs. Laluzerne Jan, 12, 2016 Adoption Nature vs Nurture What makes someone an unique individual? Centuries of ancestors, genetics, evolution and heredity, or is what makes someone who they are based simply on how they were raised and what sort of environment they were raised in? The idea of Nature vs Nurture was created in 1869 in a book called Hereditary Genius by Francis Galton. In his book, he explains his findings on his exploration of the inheritance andRead More Nature vs Nurture Essay804 Words   |  4 PagesNature vs Nurture In his book, the universally acclaimed and bestseller The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins presents his viewpoint that living organisms are but survival machines, that the individual [is a] selfish machine, programmed to do whatever is best for its gene as a whole. In fact, this is the central concept in his book that he brings across. An individuals behaviour and actions are 100% determined by its genes and the individual behaves in accordance to ensure the best persistenceRead MoreNature Vs Nurture Essay882 Words   |  4 PagesNature vs Nurture The discussion about nature and nurture can be considered one of the oldest problems in psychology, the main question of which is: Are human traits present at birth or are they developing through experience? (Meyers, 2013). The natural side of the discussion asserts that the facial features and the way of their development strictly through DNA and genetics are transmitted by parents and grandparents. The nurture side of the debate argues that we are born with a clean list andRead MoreThe Debate On Nature Vs Nurture Essay1435 Words   |  6 Pageshistory of the debate on nature vs nurture continues to be a controversy, more and more psychologists start to rise from both sides of the argument. The earliest evidence can be traced back to the time of John Locke, who believes that our minds are blank slates and only experience can write override it. Despite the main focus of the issue being how environment transact to influence development, psychologists today continue to argue on the is sue of nature vs nurture. Intelligence is more of a conceptRead MoreNature vs. Nurture818 Words   |  3 PagesNature Versus Nurture Introduction: There are few mysteries that are greater or provoke more debate than that which dictates human individuality. Sociologists, psychologists and genealogists have long argued over the roles played by the inherent genetic and biological features of an individual and the environmental, contextual and experiential realities surrounding the individual where the development of personality, ability and orientation are concerned. This underscores the debate between natureRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : A Debate Within Psychology1344 Words   |  6 PagesTonda PSY 100 Nature Vs. Nurture There s a debate within psychology about whether certain aspects of behavior are genetic or learned characteristics. Certain physical characteristics are genetic, like color of eyes, hair type, and skin color. Other things like driving, talking, or tying your shoes are learned. People wonder if personality and mental abilities are genetic or learned. There are good arguments for both the nurture, and nature side of these three issues: intelligence, personality,