Nature vs Nurture debate
Week 1 – (Chapter 1) Reflection/Applied Activity
Chapter 1 describes the Nature vs Nurture debate. In your previous classes you have likely always concluded that both matter, both contribute to development, personality, etc. You also likely discussed the idea that genes are fixed. The concept of Epigenetics explores the idea that our genes can be “modified” via our behaviors.
- Watch a brief Ted Talk that explains the concept of Epigenetics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k50yMwEOWGUe
- Read a New York Times Article – “Fathers May Pass Down More Than Just Genes, Study Suggests”
(If you can not open the entire article, you may need to get a student subscription to the New York times. It is available to you for free as a John Jay student. Please go to the John Jay Library website and sign-up with your john jay e-mail. https://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/nyt You will have immediate access).
- Watch a Ted Talk on Epigenetics and the influence of our genes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTBg6hqeuTg
- (Optional Video) Watch the first 35 minutes of this lecture that explains how genes actually work and interact with the environment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHp9bRYAClc
Assignment: After watching the two Ted Talk videos and reading the NY Times article how do you think about the topic or nature vs nurture? How would you describe the Nature vs. Nurture debate now if your very smart grandmother who never went to college wanted you to explain the debate to her using the latest understanding of the issue? The write-up should be approximately 1 page long.