Psychology Department



Psychology Department

Nature-Nurture Essay Plan

Title: Critically consider different views regarding the relationship between nature and nurture.

This Paper 5 essay is asking you to be SYNOPTIC – in other words to make links between the different areas of the course you have studied in answering the question. You will have 40 minutes in the exam and should be aiming for 3-4 sides of A4.

Remember AO1 is worth 10 and A02 is worth 15 marks. Focus on balance.

Use the following plan, which will help you structure your answer and highlight the kind of material required. Each number should be a new paragraph or section.

1. Define the nature-nurture debate, focusing on the interaction between the

two.

2. Explain what we mean by genotype and phenotype and how it is difficult to

Separate them.

3 a) Describe where the perspectives we have studied (biological/evolutionary, psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive) stand on the relative importance of nature and nurture. Highlight the fact that for different types of behaviour the relative influence of nature and nurture will be different.

3 b) Choose 3 examples of behaviour we have studied from across the course and offer different explanations (biological/evolutionary, psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive.)

c) For each example highlight the relative importance of nature and nurture

4 Highlight the problems connected with researching nature-nurture.

5 Conclusion: mention diathesis-stress model and focus on interaction.

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