TWINS: NATURE VERSUS NURTURE

NATURE VS NURTURE

•      How do we explain the role played by genetics in influencing our behaviour (and therefore our individual differences?)

•      Are our behaviours the product of nature or nurture? Is your behaviour inherited or acquired?

•         In psychology, research on family, adoption and Twins have tried to provide the answer.

FAMILY STUDIES

•      Family is made up of parents and their biological children. The focus is on children (siblings).

•      Biological siblings share related genetics and similar environment but have different behaviours. Why?

•      The differences are because of gametogenesis and random fertilization or environment

•      Observed similarities can be due to related genes or similar environment

•      How can we conclude here?   

Conclusion:

The behavioural similarity may be associated to both genetic factors and shared environment and that is difficult to conclude whether observed behaviours are due to environment or genetics.

It is hard to define how genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) plays the role.

ADOPTION STUDIES

Adoption:

•       Adopted Children genetically differ from biological siblings.

•      They, however, share similar nurture (environment)

•      Studies on adoption show that children adopted early in life usually have similar behavioural pattern as their biological siblings.

What can you conclude here?         

 Conclusion:

   Observed similarities underscore the power of nurturing environment (because the genetic make up is different)

    We still do not know the role played by genetics (nature)

 TWIN STUDIES

Identical twins:

•      Share similar genetic make up (because they are the product of the same zygote)

•      When separated for long time, they have different experiences (nurture)

•      Studies have shown that they are found to share half similarities and half behavioural difference

Conclusion:

Since identical twins have 100% gene similarities, the similarities are due to genes and the differences are due to the environment

So Nature or Nurture?

•      Three sets of studies underscore the influence of both genetic and environmental factors.

•      We are the result of nature and nurture