Kit H. Ruppell
Exterminieren! Exterminieren!
I think that the more 'general' aspects of personality are almost entirely determined by genes, while specific behaviors and preferences come more from experience or 'nurture'.
Behavioral Genetics
- Thread starter Xenke
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Karnak
Guest
Good arguments, seen plenty of studies and research on both influences on behavior. From what I understand Genetically determined behaviors are survival instinct type things like: aversion to insects or vermin, anxiety in the dark (when the animals are hunting), pack-like social orders, survival of the species.
More complex behaviors I would attribute to firstly environmental factors and secondly social surroundings
environmental factors can be both parental ability and the factor I think is understated here; the biochemistry of the person in the womb and in early youth. In this fast growing fetal stage the body chemistry can be easily affected and significant results in the grown person are more likely. A rather grim example of this would be something like children born to an alcoholic or drug addict mother in which the brain development has been greatly affected by the environment provided by the mother. I wont go into a lot of detail here but there are chemical imbalances related to many behaviors that may be assumed to be nurture related.
Lastly good parents help a lot, people learn by example and so the ideals and values exhibited by the parents and the world they expose their kids too is of tremendous influence.
More complex behaviors I would attribute to firstly environmental factors and secondly social surroundings
environmental factors can be both parental ability and the factor I think is understated here; the biochemistry of the person in the womb and in early youth. In this fast growing fetal stage the body chemistry can be easily affected and significant results in the grown person are more likely. A rather grim example of this would be something like children born to an alcoholic or drug addict mother in which the brain development has been greatly affected by the environment provided by the mother. I wont go into a lot of detail here but there are chemical imbalances related to many behaviors that may be assumed to be nurture related.
Lastly good parents help a lot, people learn by example and so the ideals and values exhibited by the parents and the world they expose their kids too is of tremendous influence.
Vagrant
Reptile Geek
I think genetics is responsible for the chemical parts of how we are as people (adrenal response, the balance of happy and sad chemicals in the brain, etc) but we learn how to act (personality and how we present ourselves as people) through nurturing. For example, there is a specific conversation I remember that I recently had with a friend of mine who's a psych major, and she was explaining to me how she'd been reading about how we actually learn empathy by watching other people, and through other people teaching us rather than it being an inherent trait (she was more interested in the school programs that they were trying in elementary schools to promote it). I wish I'd kept the paper I wrote on this a year and a half ago, as far as I know it's in a box somewhere but it has some very good sources for this kind of topic.
For me personally I know that my father's family are all very mellow conflict avoiding people, and I have a suspicion it has to do with lower testosterone levels and other factors that bring their aggression levels down, I've yet to see anyone in that group of people get in a yelling match, and when my father was taking psychological evaluations for marriage counseling with my step mother he was required to take the tests 3 times over due to the fact they couldn't believe he was that mellow. However, I'm also pretty sure I could've just learned to avoid reacting to conflict through being raised by him rather than it just being gone.
To put it simply I think we learn things like acceptable behavior, bad and good, etc. from the people and environment around us, but instinctual responses are governed through genetics.
For me personally I know that my father's family are all very mellow conflict avoiding people, and I have a suspicion it has to do with lower testosterone levels and other factors that bring their aggression levels down, I've yet to see anyone in that group of people get in a yelling match, and when my father was taking psychological evaluations for marriage counseling with my step mother he was required to take the tests 3 times over due to the fact they couldn't believe he was that mellow. However, I'm also pretty sure I could've just learned to avoid reacting to conflict through being raised by him rather than it just being gone.
To put it simply I think we learn things like acceptable behavior, bad and good, etc. from the people and environment around us, but instinctual responses are governed through genetics.
Kit H. Ruppell
Exterminieren! Exterminieren!
'Science' as we know it was invented by flawed organisms; while our minds may not be sophisticated enough (or perhaps willing) to objectively study ourselves, it is not necessarily impossible to do so at all.
More on-topic, while our genes alone determine what we are, they don't create our individual memories [?neural connections]. We do that afterward.
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K
Karnak
Guest
very true I think genetics, our own chemistry and our developing psyche form a triad that determines who we are. a person can change two of those factors consciously by choosing to think in a different way or ingest different chemicals and nutrients but I don't agree with any altering of genetics whatsoever. The idea of bad genes is an inherently dangerous one that honestly makes me horribly afraid people will be categorized and judged on the basis of their genetics and not their worldly behaviors and actions. Any opinions on this or should i start a new thread?
Kyrodo
Chaos
<--Tunnel vision.
In response to the OP, I discussed something of this nature when I was in my Psychology class (I had the pleasure of taking it TWICE because college requires it for some unknown reason). Anyway, who we are, IMO, is determined partially by genetics and partially by the environment. The genetics provides the basis. The environment accounts for the rest. I guess that's an overly simplistic way to think about it. Point is that either half can only do so much, although a good genetic make up admittedly helps. Genetics certainly provides potential, but from the environment comes the ability to utilize it.
In response to the OP, I discussed something of this nature when I was in my Psychology class (I had the pleasure of taking it TWICE because college requires it for some unknown reason). Anyway, who we are, IMO, is determined partially by genetics and partially by the environment. The genetics provides the basis. The environment accounts for the rest. I guess that's an overly simplistic way to think about it. Point is that either half can only do so much, although a good genetic make up admittedly helps. Genetics certainly provides potential, but from the environment comes the ability to utilize it.
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Heimdal
has a sexy learning disability
"nature does A, and nurture does B!"
No. Even a middle ground like that is far too black and white. Consider something you ate giving you a stomach ache. Genetics, right? Now consider that there are medicines and things you can do that allow you to eat that same food without getting a stomach ache. Nurture? Now go on to note that what you eat, and how you feel about what you ate, can easily effect your attitude. This is a hard question now because it all intertwines like fuck. Unless your answer is just, "both, because it all intertwines in extremely elaborate ways."
Also consider that "survival instinct" isnt 100% genetic when you're holding a gun or axe.
No. Even a middle ground like that is far too black and white. Consider something you ate giving you a stomach ache. Genetics, right? Now consider that there are medicines and things you can do that allow you to eat that same food without getting a stomach ache. Nurture? Now go on to note that what you eat, and how you feel about what you ate, can easily effect your attitude. This is a hard question now because it all intertwines like fuck. Unless your answer is just, "both, because it all intertwines in extremely elaborate ways."
Also consider that "survival instinct" isnt 100% genetic when you're holding a gun or axe.
Hendly Devin
No this cant be true!
Im pretty sure human psychology is mostly nurture developed.
But I can only speak for my statement from personal experience.
But I can only speak for my statement from personal experience.
Xenke
Member
Actually was thinking of that when I wrote it. You win the prize.
Personally, I think orientation can be "caused" by a variety of things. My view on my personal gayness is that it was caused by a combination of nurture (and no, not being "raised to be gay"), experiences, and a smidgin of actual choice.