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Nature Versus Nurture

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Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior

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Synonyms

Nature: Character; Condition of birth; Quality; World

Nurture: Bring up; Nourishment

Definition

The word “Nature” is originated from the Latin word nātūra, which means conditions of birth, quality, character, natural order, world, etc. In other words, nature is the material world that surrounds individuals and may exist independently, even if there is no human activity. In another aspect, nature also refers to the specific features, characters, or qualities of something or someone which is inherited and transferred from one generation to another generation. In concern to the human being, nature is the genetics that determines one’s behavior like personality traits and abilities.

On the other hand, the word “Nurture” is originated from the Latin word nutrire, which means to nourish. The surrounding environment of a person, his upbringing, and life experiences determine his behavior in a certain way. In other words, nurture can be defined as the one who nourishes, giving food,...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoology Section, Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, India

    Sarika Srivastava & Poonam Singh

  2. National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurugram, Haryana, India

    Sandeep Kumar

  3. Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Karuna Gautam & Sandeep Kumar

Authors
  1. Sarika Srivastava
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  2. Karuna Gautam
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  3. Sandeep Kumar
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  4. Poonam Singh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Poonam Singh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Jennifer Vonk

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Centre for Neural and Cognitive Sciences, School of Medical Science, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India

    Akash Gautam

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Srivastava, S., Gautam, K., Kumar, S., Singh, P. (2022). Nature Versus Nurture. In: Vonk, J., Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55065-7_547

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