An example of this is in Bowlby's theory of attachment as he proposed that children are biologically programmed to form attachments as it increases their survival. Suggests attachment is naturally selected (passed down generations).

e.g. Learning theory of attachment (attachments learned through classical and operant conditioning). Explains that attachment is due to association of food with the mother which elicits pleasure → attachment forms.

P: Research suggests that the nature-nurture debate is meaningless as the importance of an interactionist approach has been highlighted in modern research.

E: Research looking at neural plasticity in biopsychology suggests that our experiences (nurture) shape our biology (nature). For example, Maguire et al investigated the hippocampi volume of London taxi drivers' brains and found that this region of the brain was larger compared to those who weren't taxi drivers.

E: Maguire concluded that driving a taxi (nurture) had an impact on the size of the hippocampi (nature) which demonstrates the importance of the link between the two and is evidence that nurture can affect nature.

P: Behaviorism explains behaviour as resulting from experiences.

E: For instance, Pavlov's work on classical conditioning showed how associations, such as shape behaviour. Operant conditioning, another aspect of behaviourism, explains how behaviours are reinforced by rewards like food reducing hunger and discomfort.

E: Therefore, while biology influences certain urges, such as aggression, individuals learn specific behaviours, like expressing anger, through environmental influences and social interactions.

P: Twin studies demonstrate that behaviours are more likely to be shared among genetically closer individuals.

E: For example, the concordance rate for schizophrenia is 40% among identical twins (MZ) compared to only 7% among fraternal twins (DZ), highlighting the influence of genetics on behaviour.

E: Therefore, genetic and evolutionary factors discussed by the nature debate do contribute significantly to the development of behaviours across generations.