Nature Versus Nurture

For more than a century, psychologists have investigated the nature of human intelligence. Various aspects of this research have included the definition of intelligence, its measurement, and its etiological determinants. Indeed, some of this research has given rise to considerable controversy. In particular, much debate has surrounded the question of "nature versus nurture." Psychologists seem unable to agree on whether genetic or environmental influences make the greatest contribution to intelligence. While it seems highly likely that both factors have some effect, several studies indicate that the development of human intelligence depends primarily on heredity.

Intelligence is a characteristic attribute of the human species. For the most part, intelligent behavior involves problem-solving. It may include the power to reason logically and the ability to examine a problem from different perspectives. Moreover, it may also be related to a person's capacity to keep an open mind. Lastly, an individual's verbal ability and social intelligence are also important for problem-solving (Weinberg, 1989, p. 98).

As a psychological concept, intelligence has engendered considerable debate (McClearn, 1971, p. 71). Researchers typically belong to either of two distinct groups: the "lumpers" or the "splitters." The lumpers define intelligence as a "general, unified capacity for acquiring knowledge, reasoning, and solving problems that is

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technique, the issue persists; indeed, these arguments have probably played a crucial role in the development of psychology itself. Early discussions on "nature versus nurture" were characteristically philosophical. Investigators questioned whether certain "basic types of knowledge were innately given in man or whether all knowledge and the means for attaining knowledge was acquired through sensory experience (Overton, 1973, p. 74)." These debates go back to the time of Locke and Descartes and include such points of view as empiricism versus rationalism, "blank slate" versus a "prepared mind," and behaviorism versus ethnology. For the most part, each of these topics represented a single approach to the question of how individuals gain knowledge. Of course, at the core of these arguments was perhaps the most important issue: i.e., whether or not a person's basic intelligence can be changed and, if so, how might that alteration be achieved (Anghoff, 1988, p. 713-714). Many believe that intelligence is entirely innate. Accordingly, such inherited cognitive abilities would not only be present in the individual at the time of birth, they would also be unchangeable. Such innate intelligence is thought to be not only consta
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Approximate Word count = 1924
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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