Nature Vs. Nurture

Parent Cafe
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<p>Genes and environment are pretty big concepts, and I think many things can be put into one of the two categories. Of course, there’s also sheer random chance – sure, you might be risk-averse because of your upbringing and your dopamine receptor genotype, but researchers can’t rule out the possibility that you buy lottery tickets now and then.</p>

<p>Many reports, particularly in behavioral genetics, don’t actually quantify the degree to which genetics or environment shape an individual’s actions. Instead, they quantify the amount of variability between people which is due to either genotype or environment.</p>

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<p>Shermer looks at humans through the ‘Evolutionary Lens’ to support his thesis. </p>

<p>As an example of how he explores ‘Nature’, he notes that the physical characteristics of our brains (size of the neocortex relative to the volume of the entire brain) correlates to group size in primates. He quotes studies by Psychologist [Robin</a> Dunbar](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Grooming-Gossip-Evolution-Language-Dunbar/dp/0674363361/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201660398&sr=1-1]Robin”>http://www.amazon.com/Grooming-Gossip-Evolution-Language-Dunbar/dp/0674363361/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201660398&sr=1-1) who concludes:</p>

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<p>On ‘Nurture’ he argues:</p>

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Culture matters,…as wholly integrated and fully interdigitated with nature such that you cannot speak of one without the other. This interactionism is the only reasonable position to take on the so-called (and artificial) nature-nurture debate, despite the limitations most anthropologists have set on understanding this interaction. As [[Donald</a>] Brown](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Human-Universals-Donald-E-Brown/dp/007008209X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201660241&sr=8-1][Donald”>http://www.amazon.com/Human-Universals-Donald-E-Brown/dp/007008209X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201660241&sr=8-1) notes in castigating his fellow anthropologists:

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<p>lol, both…altho i’d say nature > nurture</p>