Learning, Knowledge and Human Development MOOC’s Updates

Update #1 - Behaviorism and the Nature vs. Nurture Debate

Dr. Saul Mcleod, in an online article on the behaviorist approach, says “Behaviorism, also known as behavioral psychology, is a theory of learning which states all behaviors are learned through interaction with the environment through a process called conditioning. Thus, behavior is simply a response to environmental stimuli.” [1] This Behaviorist thinking is extremely black and white. As a fellow human, I expect those reading this will agree that in life, nothing is ever black and white. I believe that a person is made up of both genes and experiences, so psychology should include behaviorism as a lens though which to view learning, however we would be ignorant to assume that inherited mental and biological factors do not play a major role in human development. This leads me to the age old Nature vs. Nurture debate which I have found fascinating for a long time. As I have been researching more on the topic, I don’t think that the Nature vs. Nurture debate should not be a debate at all.

Jason Dean, MD in an article on Why Nature vs. Nurture is a False Dichotomy, writes that “The age-old question, nature vs. nurture, is really a misguided question. It's misguided because it implies that nature and nurture represent a stark dichotomy.” [2] He goes on to write “The truth is that nature and nurture interact with each other with seamless reciprocity. Research has taught us that the environment actually shapes childhood neurodevelopment, molding the brain as it grows and develops.” I think this is extremely important to understand, so that we view the human experience as an integrated whole, instead of separate parts. In my personal experience, I have observed this concept in action, though with a different twist. My sister and I grew up with very similar experiences, raised by the same parents with the same beliefs and values, educated in a similar way. However, we grew up to be extremely different people. I cannot get enough of education, having earned a BA in Psychology, MS in Architecture, and now participating in these Coursera online courses. My sister on the other hand, is the creative one, building a successful career as a hairdresser. She cannot stand to do math, while I do math problems for fun. I am annoyed to spend 5 minutes getting ready in the morning, while doing hair and makeup is her greatest joy. We were obviously born with extremely different genetic predispositions towards our interests, though our childhoods were very similar.

 

Sources:

https://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html
https://jasondeanmd.com/nature-vs-nurture/?cn-reloaded=1

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