What Are Some Examples of Nature Versus Nurture?

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A person’s attitudes and behaviors, as well as a propensity for certain health conditions, are often part of the nature versus nurture debate. The roles of a person’s chemical makeup and their environmental influences in forming attitudes and behaviors are debated under this argument.

Other debates center on the roles of genetics and personal habits in health risks such as obesity and high blood pressure. Nature advocates argue that genetics have a high impact on obesity and high blood pressure. Nurture proponents point to the poor eating habits that cause obesity and the limited coping skills that contribute to high blood pressure.

One of the most hot-button nature versus nurture debates relates to homosexuality. Nature proponents believe that homosexuality is genetic or outside of a person’s control. Nurture proponents believe that homosexuality is a choice or a behavior influenced by environmental factors. This heated debate has social and political implications.

A person’s ability to perform in a certain occupation also leads to a nature versus nurture debate. If a child follows in a parent’s footsteps in a given career, someone might suggest a natural inclination toward the craft. Others might point to the nurturing that took place in the home as the child was raised.