There has always been a large controversy on whether it is nature or nurture that effect human behavior and personality. Some people may believe that the secret to one’s identity is in genes, but the real answer can be found in the surroundings. Psychologists have been studying this topic for years and years, and have constructed revolutionary theories. It is evident that nurture has a larger impact on personality and behavioral development.
The way a child is raised is a major contributor to the child’s personality as it ages. Children are born with a blank slate, known as “Tabula Rasa” (“Nature vs. Nurture” Difference and Comparison.), and the first few years of one’s life are important to the development of personality. There are many different theories about this subject, but all these theories point out that the child’s behavior is affected by nurture. Erik Erikson’s theory on the psychological development of children consists of eight stages. In each stage Erikson states that the child faces a developmental crisis, in which the choice the individual makes prepares them for the next stage. Erikson identifies the first developmental crisis as trust versus mistrust. According to Erikson’s theory, the child will develop a sense of trust with its parent if it is provided with its basic needs, but mistrust if they are not fulfilled (“Child Development”). This shows the affect the child’s parent and the way the child is raised, directly contributes to the individual’s personality. The child is not born with or without a sense of trust, rather the early lifetime experiences help shape the sense of trust throughout his or her life.
The study on “The Jim Twins”, Jim Springer and Jim Lewis, identical twins who were separated at birth and put up for adoption helped researchers understand more of the Nature vs. Nurture debate. Though raised by two different families, the men shared uncanny similarities that extended beyond their first names. Reconnected at age 39...