Nature verses nurture Essay Example for Free

Nature verses nurture Essay The nature versus nurture debate is an argument over whether nature plays a primary role in the development of an individual (heredity), or the environment (nurture). Nature, as understood by Psychologists, refers to physical characteristics that are biologically inherited, such as the color of skin, eye or texture of hair. Nurture on the other hand, refers to environmental influences after conception, such as our experiences (McLeod 2011). The debate has been controversial and ongoing for decades; Psychologists have tried to determine whether a person’s development is predisposed by DNA or his environment. So the questions exists, is it inherited gene or is it the driving force such as upbringing and nurturing from parents and caregivers that influences a child to grow up to become a lawyer, doctor, or a professional athlete. Both theories are essentially at opposite ends of the spectrum. Those who adopt an extreme hereditary approach (nativists) are of the belief that the characteristics or the human specie are a product of evolution and that our individual differences are due to the unique genetic makeup of the individual. At the opposite end of the spectrum, are environmentalists (empiricists) who believe that at birth the human mind is a blank slate that during development is gradually filled with our experiences (McLeod, 2007). In this paper we will look to two studies exploring the controversial nature versus nurture debate, make comparisons between them and discuss the conclusion of each study. John Bowlby (1907-1990) was a psychoanalyst who believed that mental health and behavioral problems could be attributed to early childhood. In his evolutionary Theory of Attachment developed after World War II, he suggests that children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments with others, as this is a means of survival. According to his original theory, infants have a universal need to seek close proximity with their caregiver. He observed that children experience intense distress when separated from their mothers and this shaped his belief that there is a fundamental link between early infant separations with the mother and later maladjustment (McLeod, 2009). Many subsequent theories have developed in support of this theory; Rudolph Schaffer and Peggy Emerson in 1964, studied 60 babies at monthly intervals for the first 18 months of life. The children were all studied in their own home and involved visiting the babies monthly for approximately one year. During this time, the caregivers were interviewed and all interactions with the babies were observed (McLeod, 2009). In contrast, Albert Bandura developed the Social Learning Theory in support of the nurture debate. He believed that people learn from each other through the process of observation, imitation and modeling. In 1961 he conducted an experiment called the â€Å"Bobo Doll Experiment,† to investigate if social behaviors can be acquired by imitation. The methodology of his study involved testing 36 boys and girls from the Stanford University Nursery School between the ages of three and six years. One male and female adult role model was chosen to demonstrate aggressive behavior. 24 boys and girls were allowed to watch a role model behaving aggressively towards a toy called a â€Å"Bobo doll. † The adults were told to attack the doll in destructive way, using hands, feet, weapons, or abusive language. Another 24 children were exposed to a non-aggressive model and the final 24 children were used as a controlled group and not exposed to any model or aggressive behavior at all. All the children were tested individually through three stages; modeling, aggression arousal and delayed imitation (McLeod, 2011). When the two studies are compared, many differences can be identified, but only a few similarities. In both studies, the subjects used were children. The researchers used an observational approach to undertake their study, the results of which support each theory. During both studies, the subjects were observed during normal activities and their behaviors evaluated through a series of stages. The first identifiable difference between studies was the type of study undertaken. A longitudinal study was undertaken in The Attachment Theory. It was conducted over a period of 18 months; while the Social Learning Theory was an experiment conducted over one day using matched pairs design. The second difference between studies was where they took place: the Attachment Theory studied infants in their own homes, while the Social Learning Theory conducted the experiment in a play nursery. Children at different ages were used in both studies: from birth to 18 months in the Attachment Theory, and from three to six years in the Social Learning Theory. In the Social Learning Theory experiment, all the children were pre-tested for aggression before the behavior was introduced to one group. No behavior was introduced in the Attachment Theory study, infants were observed in their normal routine and daily interactions. One final observable difference between the studies was that a controlled group was used in the â€Å"Bobo Doll Experiment† of The Social Learning Theory, while no controlled group was used in the Attachment Theory study (McLeod 2009, 2011). The Attachment Theory study results indicate that babies develop attachment in the following sequence: (1) up to three months of age where the baby responds equally to any caregiver, (2) after four months where there is a preference for certain people, (3) after seven months where there is a special preference for a single attachment figure, (4) and after nine months where they develop multiple attachments. The conclusion of the study proved babies look to particular people for security, comfort and protection. Fear and unhappiness is shown when separated from that special person. According to the study the most important thing in forming attachment is not who feeds and changes the child, but who plays and communicates with him or her (McLeod, 2009). In the second study, the â€Å"Bobo Doll Experiment† findings supported Bandura’s Social Learning Theory. Children learn social behavior such as aggression through the process of observation learning, i.e. watching the behavior of another person. During the experiment the children exposed to the violent model tended to imitate the exact behavior they had observed when the adult left the room. The children in the non-aggressive group behave less aggressively than those in the control group, and boys behaved more aggressively than girls. The study also showed that boys who observed an adult male behaving violently were more influenced than those who had observed a female model aggressive behavior. Boys were more likely to imitate physical acts of violence, while girls were more likely to imitate verbal aggression (McLeod, 2011). Many experts believe today, that behavior and development are influenced by both nature and nurture; one does not exist without the other. Some psychologists believe that learning continues even through adulthood. While few people take the extreme inherited or extreme environmental approach, researchers and experts are now consumed with the degree to which biology and environment influence behavior. References McLeod, S. A. (2011). Albert Bandura/ Social learning theory- Simply psychology. Retrieved 10/01/2013 from http://www. simplypsychology. org/baddura. html McLeod, S. A. (2009). Attachment Theory Simply psychology. Retrieved 10/04/2013 from http://www. simplypsychology. org/attachment. html McLeod, S. A. (2011). Bobo Doll Experiment- Simply psychology. Retrieved 10/03/2013 from http://www. simplypsychology. org/bobo-doll. html McLeod, S. A. (2011). Nature Nurture in Psychology- Simply psychology. Retrieved 10/05/2013 from http://www. simplypsychology. org/naturevsnurture. html.

The Most Suitable Material for a Backpackers Towel :: Backpacking Towels Essays

The Most Suitable Material for a Backpacker's Towel Chemistry: Data Analysis for the most suitable material for a backpacker’s towel. Method ====== In groups, we tested three different types of material (named pale blue, dark blue and brown) to find out which one would be more suitable as a backpacker’s towel. The criteria that would make a good backpacker’s towel would be aspects such as a low density, high absorpancy, rapid drying etc. We weighed the fabric before wetting it and weighing it again. We then hung it on some suspended string and let a rotating fan dry them for fifteen minutes. After this time was up, we weighed the materials again in order to work out the drying rate, the absorpancy and the amount of water lost. We then recorded our results in a table (displayed further on) and analysed these to come to a conclusion. The formulas I used were as follows: Absorbency – wet towel mass – dry towel mass/dry towel mass Water Lost – Wet mass – Dry mass Drying Rate – (Water Lost/Time [15]) x 60 to give [g/hr] Density – Mass Dry/Area to give [g/cm squared] Interpretation ============== Part of the criteria that adds to what makes a backpacker’s towel is a high absorbency. The graph shows that the Pale Blue fabric had the highest absorbency and no anomalies, indicating accurate results. The least absorbent fabric is the brown. The Pale blue fabric absorbency ranges from 2.1 to 4.2. The Dark Blue fabric’s absorbency ranges from 1.7 to 3.2 with one higher anomaly and the brown fabric’s absorbency ranges from 1 to 2.9, with one higher anomaly. What also makes a good backpacker’s towel is rapid drying, i.e. a high drying rate. The fabric with the highest drying rate is, again, the pale blue one. The ranges I have devised on both graphs do not include the anomalies, and I will go further into this in my evaluation. The pale blue data for drying rate shows a very high anomaly and a very low one, with the data taken into consideration ranging from 14 to 52.5. The Dark Blue fabric ranges from 12.5 to 39.5, with two higher anomalies and the brown fabric ranges from 18.5 to 42.5 with 1 anomaly. To summarise, the brown fabric had the lowest absorbency, then the dark blue and then the pale blue. The dark blue fabric had the lowest drying rate, then the brown fabric and then the pale blue fabric. To conclude, the pale blue fabric was identified, from interpreting my graphs, as the best fabric for a backpacker’s towel, so at this point the pale blue fabric would probably be better that the dark blue and

Intercultural Marriage Essay

Just as some of Asian women are eager to have a Western life-partner, which is known as a romantic partner, some of Western men also desired an Asian life partner because they thought an Asian wife is responsible to their future family. Things are perfect in our imagination, yet it changes when we confront reality. Marriage is not only unification between a male and female who love each other, but also a commitment between two people to appreciate and to encourage one another no matter in joy or sorrow. Before there were only minor couples that had courage to take an intercultural marriage because its too risky. Nevertheless, nowadays the number of intercultural marriages have been increased due to the easiness of immigration. There are many difficulties of an intercultural marriage, such as living environment (style), communication and way to bring children up. The first difficulty of an intercultural marriage is the living environment. Marrying someone from a different culture is absolutely not the same as marrying someone from same culture. Every country possesses its own living style and different habits as well. People who grow up in a different culture have different backgrounds and views concerning family. Some cultures consider their family important while some cultures don’t. For instance, Asian people are taught to respect their parents even though they already got married. On the contrary, Western teenagers usually leave their house and prefer to live with their lovers at their 20s. Sometimes, these individuals’ families demand too much on their son/daughter in law which is uncomfortable. For instance, when the Chinese New Year comes, the family from the wife and husband will assemble together. It’s already a tradition that the oldest son’s wife has to prepare everything like cooking for the big family, cleaning and setting the house and etc, which is tiring and very hard. Problem is caused when either side doesn’t agree to do the duty. These things usually will cause conflicts to the marriage life. In brief, even though living style is a small problem, it’s too sensitive that conflicts could occur between the couple. The second obstacle that an intercultural marriage couple might encounter is communication. Communication is an essential part in every relationship. Due to the fact that an intercultural marriage couple speaks different mother language, lack of language is the first problem to exist in their lives. In this case, husband and wife normally will choose to a speak well-known language, English. Speaking a second language is troublesome; we aren’t able to express our true feelings, there would be some words that we couldn’t interpret into English properly. For instance, when couple having fight, clear explanation is the best thing to end the quarrel. Using a second language, we can’t actually express something easily and directly. Sometimes since we have to think what is the word in English which is make us fretful and become angrier. Because of this reason the quarrel is become worst. For Language problem could lead the couples to misunderstanding that caused a quarrel. In the end, sometimes lack of language might be the most destructive thing to an intercultural marriage. The third obstacle that an intercultural marriage might go through is about how they are going to bring their children up. For this problem, parents have to meet an agreement; whether they will raise the children as a bilingual or not, whose culture they want to emphasize in the family etc. For instance, in our country, when we are eating with parents or with someone who older than us we have to say permission to start eating the food. On the contrary, in the U. S we don’t have to do that, we can eat without having permission from the others. Then, different from the U.  S, in my country it’s really disrespectful to enter someone’s house without taking off our shoes. Some different cultures have different habit, sometimes spouse start criticizing one and another about their foreign habit which is unpleasant to be seen by the children. Parents also have to decide which language will the children speak. Every parent wants their children to be able to speak their native language, it would bring pride to them. If they can’t meet an agreement then it would be a war in their lives. In conclusion, there are a lot of obstacles in intercultural marriage that he couple couldn’t avoid. Marriage is not a simple thing to do, we don’t have to be hurry on making the decision. All of people have the same hope that married only once in a lifetime and have a happy existence. We have to think the benefits and the challenges of an intercultural marriage as much as possible. There are three most common obstacles in reality; life style, communication and method to raise their children. People might think those things are small problems, but sometimes those problems could break the couples up.

Educational Evaluation - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 738 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/09/20 Category Education Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? What Is Educational Evaluation? By Shane Hall, eHow Contributor I want to do this! Whats This? [pic]Educational evaluation involves the systematic assessment of educational activities. Objects of evaluation include instructional programs, school initiatives and education goals. The growth in federal funding for education and policy-makers increased calls for school accountability have contributed to the growth of educational evaluation. Many large school districts have personnel responsible for evaluation activities. Function 1. Educational evaluation strives to assess the merits and the impacts of educational programs and initiatives. Examples include evaluating the success of a new dropout prevention program, or comparing the effectiveness of two different reading programs. Methods 2. Educational evaluation uses many of the research methods employed by education and social science researchers. Evaluation involves data collection and analysis, using quantitative and quali tative methods. Benefits 3. Evaluation can help educators determine the success of their programs and pinpoint efforts to improve student achievement. It also can help school systems identify the characteristics of successful programs. Considerations 4. Many school systems receive federal and state grants, which often include evaluation requirements, which helps document how the grant funds were used, and what outcomes resulted from funded activities. Misconceptions 5. Many educators often mistake student assessment and teacher appraisals for evaluation. These activities are better described as measurement: the former is an assessment of individual learners rather than of educational phenomena, whereas the latter is a measurement of certain attributes in teachers. https://www. ehow. com/facts_5006257_what-educational-evaluation. html Read more: What Is Educational Evaluation? eHow. com https://www. ehow. com/facts_5006257_what-educational-evaluation. html#ixzz0yeqxHyKl Educationa l evaluation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Educational evaluation is the evaluation process of characterizing and appraising some aspect/s of an educational process. There are two common purposes in educational evaluation which are, at times, in conflict with one another. Educational institutions usually require evaluation data to demonstrate effectiveness to funders and other stakeholders, and to provide a measure of performance for marketing purposes. Educational evaluation is also a professional activity that individual educators need to undertake if they intend to continuously review and enhance the learning they are endeavouring to facilitate. Standards for educational evaluation The Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation published three sets of standards for educational evaluations. The Personnel Evaluation Standards [1] was published in 1988, The Program Evaluation Standards (2nd edition) [2] was published in 1994, and T he Student Evaluations Standards [3] was published in 2003. Each publication presents and elaborates a set of standards for use in a variety of educational settings. The standards provide guidelines for designing, implementing, assessing and improving the identified form of evaluation. Each of the standards has been placed in one of four fundamental categories to promote evaluations that are proper, useful, feasible, and accurate. [edit] The Personnel Evaluation Standards †¢ The propriety standards require that evaluations be conducted legally, ethically, and with due regard for the welfare of evaluatees and clients involved in. The utility standards are intended to guide evaluations so that they will be informative, timely, and influential. †¢ The feasibility standards call for evaluation systems that are as easy to implement as possible, efficient in their use of time and resources, adequately funded, and viable from a number of other standpoints. †¢ The accuracy standards require that the obtained information be technically accurate and that conclusions be linked logically to the data. [edit] The Program Evaluation Standards †¢ The utility standards are intended to ensure that an evaluation will serve the information needs of intended users. The feasibility standards are intended to ensure that an evaluation will be realistic, prudent, diplomatic, and frugal. †¢ The propriety standards are intended to ensure that an evaluation will be conducted legally, ethically, and with due regard for the welfare of those involved in the evaluation, as well as those affected by its results. †¢ The accuracy standards are intended to ensure that an evaluation will reveal and convey technically adequate information about the features that determine worth or merit of the program being evaluated. [edit] The Student Evaluation Standards The Propriety standards help ensure that student evaluations are conducted lawfully, ethically, and with rega rd to the rights of students and other persons affected by student evaluation. †¢ The Utility standards promote the design and implementation of informative, timely, and useful student evaluations. †¢ The Feasibility standards help ensure that student evaluations are practical; viable; cost-effective; and culturally, socially, and politically appropriate. †¢ The Accuracy standards help ensure that student evaluations will provide sound, accurate, and credible Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Educational Evaluation" essay for you Create order