Role of Nature and Nurture in Child Development

Thinking about the Nature/Nurture Issue in Child Development
One of the single most basic questions in child development is the role of nature and nurture in development. The purpose of this assignment is to think more deeply about this issue. In your exploration of the nature/nurture issue, please use the Unit 2 Assignment Template to address the following five points. The points should be addressed using complete sentences and citing the source for any information that is not your own.
1) In your own words, define the term nature and define the term nurture.
2) The controversy regarding nature versus nurture dates back hundreds of years. Using Chapter 1 of the textbook, imagine a debate between John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the nature-nurture controversy. Summarize the argument each historical figure would make for either the nature side of the debate or the nurture side of the debate.
3) Peruse Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and/or Chapter 4 of your textbook for two examples of nature and two examples of nurture. Be sure to cite the textbook information/research findings to support your ideas. Explain how each of your examples illustrate nature or nurture.
4) Contemporary developmentalists now grant roles to both the influence of nature and nurture on development, but believe the relative contribution of each influence can vary. To understand the relationship between nature and nurture, scientists have proposed various ways to understand how nature and nurture work together. Concepts that have been proposed include Gene-Environment Interaction, Gene-Environment Correlation, and Epigenesis. Using Chapter 2 of the textbook, briefly describe each concept, making clear which one you believe explains the relationship between nature and nurture best.
5) Your opinion: Based on the Unit 1 and Unit 2 readings, do you think nature, or nurture, or both play(s) the bigger role in development? Why?
Textbook: Infants, Children, and Adolescents
Laura E. Berk