Nurture strongly influences early human development. Discuss

Nurture and early human development

Introduction

Developmental psychologists tell us that development is caused by two very extensive intermingling factors : heredity or nature , and environment or nurture . Often determining the demarcation line between these two factors , which directly or indirectly influences our biological and psychological constitution , is not an easy task

Nature speaks of the transmission of traits from parents to offspring through the genes which is universally known as heredity . This biological transmission of traits from one generation to another plays an important role in the determination of traits

that are considered human and nonhuman . The biological structures , people inherit , at the same time , make people 's behavior possible . It is also these biological structures that limit human behavior (Hurlock , 1964

On the other hand , environment embraces all the influences that affect or shape man . The other process of development that occurs through the medium of the environment is called learning

There are more social or behavior scientists today who stand on the position that they adhere strictly neither to the nature nor to the nurture side . They are persuaded or tend to lean on an integrated or multi-dimensional approach . However , there have been specific areas in the study of human behavior that are being challenged on a continuous basis , and this includes subjects that aid to either the heredity or environment positions (Morris Maisto , 1999 . This short study attempts to provide evidences to the scientific inquiry that nurture influences early human development . It seeks to look into explicit observations already made , i .e , studies done that investigated the issue of nature and nurture

Discussion

In general , it can be argued that all behavior reflects the influence of both nature and nurture . All organisms acquire or inherit a range of structures that set the stage for certain behaviors . Yet environmental influence such as nutrition and learning also help decide whether or not genetically possible behaviors will be displayed . The genius of such creative as C .S . Lewis or Stephen King may never appear should they have been reared in less fortunate circumstances without the privilege or opportunity of even writing and reading

Nurture especially during the early stages in the life span influences some of the arenas of human existence . The best illustration to this is in the aspect of intelligence . Many studies have been conducted to emphasize the role of environment and this is illustrated in the areas of research where scientists try to manipulate the initial milieu around which many young children are in jeopardy of developing poor intellectual functioning . These researches actually put stress or accentuate the preventive aspect instead of addressing the interventions that may be applied later on . A lot of families from below the poverty line reasonably , are not able to afford their children a cognitively motivating atmosphere . For this reason , majority of these children are even expected to perform below their capacity . It is arguably to the side of nurture in instances that intellectual functioning is compromised when the environment component...