Question

Answer the following question:  
Explain the relative contribution of heredity and environment in the context of a child’s development. 

Answer 1

According to Pinter (1931), ‘The potency of the environment is not merely so great as commonly supposed. A child’s abilities are determined by his ancestors and all that the environment can do is to give the opportunity for the development of his potentialities”. We can claim our calculations agree perfectly with the hypothesis that intelligence is inherited in the same way as physical characteristics are inherited.

Thus heredity is more important than the environment in growth and development. Several experiment findings also emphasize the importance of heredity in individual differences. Pearson (1904) found a remarkable resemblance among members of the same family in color of eyes, a ratio of width and length of head, and the physical traits which are by and large affected by environmental influences. Interestingly, he noted that the effect of heredity upon mental characteristics is the same as upon physical characteristics.

Contribution of Environment to child’s development:

The effect of changing environment upon mental traits – two studies concluded by the Chicago University group headed by Freeman (1925) and Stanford University group headed by Burks (1928) are notable. Both these investigations emphasized somewhat different methods, through the purpose was the same i.e., to study the influence of home environment upon the development of mental traits in children. Freeman agrees with Burk’s view that heredity is a force in the determination of mental ability by the side of which all other forces are dwarfed in comparison. Both studies agree upon the influence of heredity in shaping mental ability.

Both groups show a general agreement on the role of the environment in the development of individual intelligence. But the Chicago group seems to give greater emphasis to the environment than to heredity. Watson has strongly emphasized the importance of the environment in the development of human personality. If an individual’s abilities, efficiency, and traits of personality would have bears exclusively influenced by genetic factors, the environment, training, and learning would have no value. Similarly, if training and education are considered as a sole factor influencing personality differences then favorable environmental opportunities are everything and potentialities and gifted qualities have no implications for personality development.

It seems more reasonable to say that both nature and nurture, heredity, and environment have important roles to play in the development of human beings. But their relative importance differs in the development of various traits of personality.

Similarly, the environment has the upper hand in the development of personality traits like sociability, amiability, honest, dominance, submission, introversion-extroversion, interests, and several others socially desirable, undesirable traits. Regarding the mental activities, there is sufficient evidence to believe that heredity factors determine the potential level of the physiological limit of development which an individual achieves at the maximum. Within this limit, the environmental factors influence the level of development that really occurs.

Hence, neither nature nor nurture alone can explain one’s personality development. Heredity and Environment cooperatively and coordinately help in the growth and development of a child’s behavior and personality.