NATURE AND NURTURE
. NATURE and NURTURE Defined To better understand the nature vs. nurture argument, it helps to know what each of these terms means. Nature refers largely to our genetics. It includes the genes we are born with and other hereditary factors that can impact how our personality is formed and influence the way that we develop from childhood through adulthood. Nurture encompasses the environmental factors that impact who we are. This includes our early childhood experiences, the way we were raised, our social relationships, and the surrounding culture. A few biologically determined characteristics include genetic diseases, eye color, hair color, and skin color. Other characteristics are tied to environmental influences, such as how a person behaves, which can be influenced by parenting styles and learned experiences. For example, one child might learn through observation and reinforcement to say please and thank you. Another child might learn to behave aggressively by observing older childre