Nature-Nurture Controversy, History of

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.03136-6Get rights and content

Abstract

The nature/nurture distinction originated with Francis Galton, who was also the first to realize that twin studies could provide a crucial test of the contributions of each. Both behaviorists and social scientists made extreme claims for nurture during the twentieth century. In the Soviet Union Lysenkoism enshrined nurture over nature as a dogma of Marxist biology while in the West scientists who failed to subscribe to a less dogmatic equivalent were subject to campaigns of casuistic criticism and character assassination. Findings from experiments of nature such as feral children and attempted gender-assignment contrary to chromosomal sex, along with recent evidence from autism, Turner's syndrome, and the link between monoamine oxidase A and antisocial behavior suggest that Galton was substantially correct in thinking nature to be the dominant factor. But the recent discovery of epigenetic factors, which for example explain genetic differences between identical twins, suggests caution in accepting the traditional terms of the debate at face value.

References (0)

Cited by (1)

View full text