Nature Nurture free essay sample

To disprove Locke’s argument and prove that it is in fact a mix of both nature and nurture in human development, the example of Anti-social behaviour is used. The three main arguments of a cross-sectional study of identical and non-identical twins, the cause of anti-social behaviour and Adoption studies will be used to shed strong doubt on Locke’s ideology that Nurture is the only influence in Anti-social behaviour. The features of anti-social behaviour include ‘hyperactivity-inattention, novelty- or sensation-seeking, impulsivity, low physiological reactivity, and cognitive impairment,’ (Locke) and Locke supports his argument that Nature is the cause for this through such theories as Piaget’s social cognitive development theory stating that encouragement from parents can develop a child’s attitude towards things such as praising them for taking their first steps which encourages them to do it again. The first line of evidence supporting ‘Nature’ concerning identical or monozygotic twins, challenges Locke’s argument that ‘nurture’ is the only influential factor in development. We will write a custom essay sample on Nature Nurture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The cross-comparison of over 800 sets of identical and 800 sets of non-identical dizygotic twins was conducted in Edinburgh university to measure whether upbringing: nurture, or genetics: nature has a greater effect on the success of people throughout their lives in reference to behaviours specific to people with anti-social behaviour. The study was led by Professor Timothy Bates, who quotes Previously, the role of family and the environment around the home often dominated peoples ideas about what affected psychological wellbeing. However, this work highlights a much more powerful influence from genetics. The reason that twins are used in this study is because they are traditionally from the same home environments and upbringing, but it is only identical twins which share the same genetic information and one hundred percent of their polymorphic genes. The study include questions aimed at determining key personality traits such as social skills, learning abilities, self-control and a sense of purpose, all key issues in anti-social behaviour, through application of a well-established psychological scale to measure answers. The researchers of Edinburgh university wrote in the journal of Personality, claiming that â€Å"Identical twins are twice as likely as non-identical twins to share the same personality traits, suggesting that their DNA is in fact more influential than their upbringing. Genetics were most influential on people’s sense of self control, and also affected their social and learning abilities to the same degree as well as restraint and persistence with situations when they got difficult. ’ As stated by Bates, the comparison of twins with identical twins in regards to their social and behavioural reactions conflicts Locke’s argument of nature being more influential than nature, as it is disproved by the fifty percent increase in like behaviour in identical twins based entirely on their genetic makeup and not on their upbringing. The second line of evidence used to argue Locke’s ideology of Nature being the total influence in regards to anti-social behaviour is from American psychologist, Michael Rutter. He supports the idea that anti-social behaviour is acquired through a shared ratio of nurtured influence and genetic inheritance: â€Å"For example, genetic studies have been important in demonstrating that antisocial behaviour associated with early onset hyperactivity-inattention, poor peer relationships, and widespread social malfunction has a strong genetic component, whereas antisocial behaviour without these accompanying problems is largely environmental in origin. Such findings have been informative in showing that the genetic component is greater in the case of antisocial behaviour that persists into adult life than in antisocial behaviour confined to the teenage period. † The argues that anti-social behaviours such as hyper activity-inattention are strongly genetic-received, and that this genetic type of anti-social behaviour is persistent later in ife, while including that anti-social behaviour can be largely environmental in terms of short term anti-social behaviour that is confined mainly to adolescence. Rutter claims that his findings on genetic anti-social behaviour across the longer time-span induced by nature and shorter time-span induced by nurture ‘show that genetic influences on antisocial behaviour affect the probability that such behaviour will occur rather than determine it directly. This solidifies the idea that both nature and nurture induced anti-social behaviours are influential factors in deciding the cause of w hat brings anti-social behaviour on, but, as shown in his previous quote, affect the probability that anti-social behaviour will occur, but do not bring it on directly: that is, anti-social behaviour cannot be put down to one of the two sides of nature or nurture. Rutter’s opinion on the formation of anti-social behaviours being a mix of both nature and nurture challenge Locke’s firm opinion that it is purely from nature that affect anti-social behaviours. Rutter also uses the example of petty crime to support the argument of nurture over nature, following on from his claim that a percentage of anti-social behaviour can be attained from environmental factors influenced by nurture. â€Å"Equally, genetic findings have been important in showing that there is a much weaker genetic component in violent crime than in petty theft. † This shows that petty crime, an associated offense brought on by short-term anti-social behaviour is largely influential from nature. By supporting the nature argument, Rutter shows that there is a possibility that anti-social behaviour that is acquired through hereditary can still be influenced by environmental influences, shown by the idea that a person can commit petty crime based on a nature-based anti-social trait, and again supporting that there cannot be a side of nature or nurture that is completely responsible for the formation of anti-social behaviours without the other coming into the equation. The third line of evidence using anti-social behaviour to shed doubt on Locke’s theory that development is based purely on nurtured influences is the study of Adoption. Adoption focuses on the relocation of a child from their maternal parents to their adopted parents with a completely different environment and influence on the nurture of the child’s development, classified by E. Ann Viding into two groups: ‘Genetic influences are indicated by the association between adoptee and biological relative. Environmental influences are indicated by the association between adoptee and adoptive relative. ‘ Raymond R. Crowe conducted a test to measure whether or not ‘heredity contributes to the development of antisocial personality using a group of offspring born to female offenders. ’ All 92 females studied were placed up for adoption in their infancy years, divided into 2 groups: forty-six probands with an equal number of controlled adoptees who were later followed up and interviewed when they reached the ages of 18 years and over. The results of Crowe’s study showed that ‘A significantly higher rate of antisocial personality was found among the probands than among the controls. The non-anti-social probands proved not to be more deviant than the controls. The antisocial probands experienced certain unfavourable conditions in infancy that may be related to the development of antisocial personality, the most notable being the length of time spent in temporary care prior to final placement. Although the control group was equally exposed to the same conditions, they did not develop a high rate of the disorder. The findings point to the importance of interactions between genetic and environmental factors in the development of antisocial personality. ’ In Crowe’s study, he demonstrates how the controlled and proband adoptee’s underwent the same adoption phase, interview phase, but the variables included their hereditary and environments. By suggesting that the group with the significantly higher anti-social behaviour qualities was the proband adoptee group, he is stating that the control group, despite being exposed to the same conditions of adoption, did not develop anti-social behaviours, while the proband group was significantly did. By this, it shred’s serious doubt on Locke’s argument that personal development is based only on the nurtured influences as if this was the case, both groups would have a random distribution of anti-social behaviours and not be a systematic set of results as shown in Crowe’s results of the proband group being affected. By using adoption as a relevant point of argument against Locke, it shows that development of Anti-social behaviours, despite being separated from biological offending mothers, can still develop in an adopted child regardless of their environment in a proband study group and gives credit to nature as an element of influence in development for adopted children. In conclusion, the three arguments of a cross—sectional study of identical and non-identical wins to demonstrate likeness in anti-social behaviours in genetically exact identical twins and Rutter’s argument on how anti-social behaviours are formed both demonstrate how both Nature and Nurture are vital in development of Anti-social behaviours. The third argument of Adoption demonstrated a more influential Nature-based contribution than Nurture by showing that only one group of adoptee’s suffered from anti-social behaviours, and as a result, raises alongside the other two lines of evidence strong doubt to Loc ke’s quote that anti-social behaviour is acquired only through Nurture. Reference list Crowe, R. (1974) An Adoption Study of Antisocial Personality. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1974; 31(6):785-791. doi:10. 1001/archpsyc. 1974. 01760180027003 Haimowitz, A. G. (1974) Heredity Versus Environment: Twin, Adoption, and Family Studies. Rochester institute of Technology, Rochester. Locke, J. (1994) Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Herrnstein amp; Murray, p. 311 Mcrae, R. Saunders, R. Smith, P. 2000) Nature over nurture: Temperament, personality, and life span development. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 78(1), 173-186. Rutter, M. (1997) Nature-nurture integration: The example of antisocial behaviour. Vol 52(4), 390-398. Science daily (October 2007) Retrieved from: http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2007/10/071016131452. htm Viding, E. (2004) On the nature and nurture of antisocial behaviour and violence. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1036: 267-277.

How to Use SAT Scores Advice to Admissions and Employers

How to Use SAT Scores Advice to Admissions and Employers SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Standardized test scores have long had an important place in college admissions, as well as for some jobs.Schools and employers want to they accept the most talented people, so they often use SAT scores to judgeintelligence and future success.However, somecommon beliefsabout what SAT scores representare actually false. Read this guide to learn what information SAT scores can and cannot be used to determineand maximize the usefulness of standardized test scores for your school, business, or committee. Who Uses SAT Scores? First of all, who uses SAT scores? Standardized test scores areused by many different people and groups, and I'll discuss three of the most common below. College Admissions Officers Colleges and universities are, by far, the most frequent users of SAT scores.Most schools require applicants to submit standardized test scores as part of their application. SAT scores can be useful to colleges because they give them a standard way to measure intelligence and predict college success.While there are other ways of measuring a student’s academic abilities, such as their GPA and class rank, these can vary widely between schools. A student who gets an â€Å"A† in their high school’s calculus class may only have been awarded a â€Å"C† if they had done the same workat a different school due to grade inflation, class curves, and how hard the teacher grades. Using SAT scores gives colleges a clear and efficient way to evaluate high school students from around the world.As students apply to more schools, this criteria is becoming more important because most colleges receive thousands, if nottens of thousands, of applications each year.SAT scores give colleges a fast and unambiguous way to evaluate each application they receive. Employers It is less common for employers to use SAT scores, but it’s still done, particularly in the fields of consulting, software engineering, and investment banking.Similar to colleges, these companies want an easy and clear way to measure an applicant’s intelligence.SAT scorescan be especially useful for large companies thatreceive a lot of applications, as well as companies hiring recent graduates whodon’t have a lot of work experience. Scholarship Committees One of the SAT’s earliest purposes was actually as a scholarship test for Ivy League schools.Today, many scholarships require applicants to submit standardized test scores.Like colleges and employers, the SAT can give scholarship committees a simple and unambiguous way to measure student aptitude and compare students who may be otherwise similar. Many scholarships help pay for college, and thecommittees who oversee these scholarshipsoften want to award them to students who are most likely to put them to good use and do well in school. SAT scores are a way to predict which applicants have the highest likelihood of being successful. Don't use SAT scores for the reasons listed below. How Shouldn't You Use SAT Scores? First, let's go overwhat you should not be using SAT scores to determine. I've listedfour inaccurate ways to use SAT scores below and explainedwhy each onedoesn’t give wholly accurate information. As a Complete Indicator of Intelligence While the SAT is often used to determine how â€Å"smart† someone is, there are three problems with doing so. The first problem is that the SAT only tests a narrow set of skills and intelligence.The SAT can help estimate how good someone is at reading comprehension, identifying grammatical errors, and solving certain math problems, but in no way can a multiple choice test with an optional essay test all the complexities of intelligence. The SAT cannot measure a student’s creativity, research skills, interpersonal intelligence, ability to easily learn a new language,or many other indicators of intelligence.By testing only certain types of intelligence, the SAT favors students with these types of intelligence while putting students with types of intelligence that are more difficult to test at a disadvantage. The second problem with this way of understanding SAT scores is that test preparation can significantly raise your score.We at PrepScholar know that, through dedicated test prep, a student can significantly improve his or her SAT score.If one student gets a 1500 on the SAT without studying, and another raises his grade from a 1200 to a 1500 after 40 hours of studying, is one smarter than the other? Some may say the first student is smarter, but the decision to prepare for an important test like the SAT is also a measure of intelligence, so the answer is not really clear.Instead of measuring just intelligence, the SAT measures intelligence and motivation, because a student can have one or the other, or both, and do well on the test. The third problemis that outside factors unrelated to intelligence often have a strong impact on SAT performance.Multiple studies have shown that there is a significant gap between the SAT scores of rich and poor students.One recent study found that students from wealthy families score about 400 points higher on the SAT than students low-income families. This result makes some sense because students who come from wealthier backgrounds likely attend schools with more resources, have parents who can afford SAT prep materials and courses, and often receive more pressure from their parents to do well on the SAT.Therefore, using the SAT as a measure of intelligence can discriminate against students from poorer backgrounds, who are also more likely to be minorities. To Find a "Genius" Sometimesschools and employers will admit someone withperfect SAT scores and thinkthat person will be a genius, good at everything, or guaranteed to do well.A person who gets a perfect score on the SAT may, in fact, be very intelligent, but they may also have put a lot of time into preparing, gotten lucky that day, or a combination of the above. Regardless of the reason, a person who gets a perfect score on the SAT won’t necessarily do well in everything else.As mentioned above, the SAT only tests certain types of intelligence, which also means that a person widely considered to be intelligent may not get a perfect score or even do very well on the SAT at all. It also shouldn’t be assumed that people with perfect SAT scores are more intelligent than those who didn’t receive perfect scores, which leads into the next point. To Compare People With Similar Scores The SAT should not be used to compare the intelligence of people who received similar scores, or a difference around150 points or less. A person with a score of 1450 and a person with a score of 1400 likely had only a small difference between the number of questions they answered correctly. The person who received the 1450 shouldn’t be assumed to be smarter than the person who received the 1400. Their differences in score could simply be due to normal variation in SAT results. If they both took the SAT again, it’d be completely possible for the person who got the 1400 to get the higher score that time. A person's SAT scores can vary from test to test, and people can get questions right or wrong by mistake, which doesn’t necessarily reflect their intelligence.When two (or more) people have similar SAT scores, it’s not possible to determine who is more intelligent simply by looking at the slightly higher score because aperson’s score will generally fluctuate somewhat. Even small changes in the number of questions answered correctly can have a large effect on the final composite score. Don't compare applicants with very similar SAT scores. To Determine Specific Areas of Expertise The SAT also cannot, and should not, be used to judge someone’s skill level or knowledge of a specific topic.For example, a personwho got a perfect score on the SAT essay may not know how to write a research paper, and someone who didwell in themath section may not know anything about calculus. If you’re provided with subscores, they may givemore details on how well the applicant did in certain subjects, but this information should still not be used to make assumptions about specific skill setsand knowledge areas. What Should You Use SAT Scores For? So how can SAT scores be used? Three main ways are given below; in general, all involve using SAT scores to make broad inferences that can be further supported with additional information. To Estimate IQ SATs are certainly not a perfect way to measure how smart someone is, but there is a relationship between IQ and SAT score.While IQ only tests a certain type of problem-solving, (specifically the ability to solve problems based on the information you are given), it is still often used as a measure of intelligence. Meredith C. Gray and Douglas K. Detterman, two researchers at Case Western Reserve University, have conducted rigorous studies to better understand the relationship between standardized test scores and intelligence. From their research, they have found that there is a strong correlation between SAT scores and IQ. That means if someone scores well on the SAT then it is more likely, although not guaranteed, that they have a high IQ as well.Many schools and companies want to hire people with a certain level of intelligence in order to ensure they can handle the work, and while there are other types of intelligence that neither the SAT nor IQ exams test for, using SAT scores can be a good way to estimate IQ and intelligence if you have many applicants you don’t know much about. In order to be most accurate, other information, such as GPA and letters of recommendation should be used to support inferences made from SAT scores.A student with a high SAT score, excellent GPA, and a history of leadership in her extracurriculars has done well in high school and seems likely to continue that success.However, a student with a low SAT score should not necessarily be discounted, especially if they are strong in other areas, such as a good GPA and glowing letters of recommendation. That person may have had a bad test day, get nervous during standardized tests, or excel in other areas not tested by the SAT. SAT scores cannot accuratelydetermine how smart every person who takes the exam is, so when reviewing applications, all of a student’s materials should be examined carefully in order to make the most accurate assessment. Personal statements and letters of recommendation can often provide more in-depthinformation on an applicant’s strengths and personality. As an Indicator of Broad Areas of Strength and Weakness As mentioned above, you can'tuse SAT scores to determine if someone is knowledgeable in a very specific subject area, such as Victorian literature or human biology.However, it is sometimes possible to make inferences as towhat broad subject areas the test-taker is stronger and weaker in. Beginning in March 2016, a student's total SAT score will be the sum of the scores of two sections: Math and Evidence-Based Reading Writing.There is also an optional essay.If a person scored much higher in one section than another, it may be possible to determine which areas they are most skilled and comfortable in.For example, someone with a perfect score of 800 for the Math section, but a 600 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing may be stronger in math and science.This is certainly not always true, but it can help support an inference if there is otherrelatedevidence, such as a transcript showing lots of math and science classes and a personal statement describing a passion for chemistry. This can be important information for employers looking to hire people with a certain skill set. For example, an engineering company would likely want their employees to have strong math skills but not care as much about writing skills.Colleges can use this information in a similar way. If a student is applying for a school’s journalism program, admissions officers may be more interested in their reading and writing scores than their math score. SAT scores can indicate a person's strengths. To Help Make Efficient Admissions Decisions Sometimes, particularly if a college, employer, or scholarship committee receives a high number of applicants, they need a way to quickly make acceptance or rejection decisions.SAT scores provide a clear and efficient way to judge an applicant’s academic ability, and as the number of colleges students apply to increases, schools have begun to rely more on standardized testsas an admission factor. Almost every school publishes the range of SAT scores forthe students in its most recent entering class. Half of the class scored within this 25th-75th percentile range.Comparing a student’s SAT scores to the school’s score range can help admissions officers easily identify students far below or above that range and make those admissions decisions easier. For example, if a school’s 25th-75th percentile range is 1300 to 1450, a student who scored a 1160 on the SAT will likely not be offered admission, while a student with a 1550 appears to have an excellent chance of being accepted.However, how a student does in relation to a school’s SAT score range should not be the only criteria for admission. A student with a lower-than-average SAT score may have excellent letters of recommendation and extracurriculars, while a student with a great SAT score may not have much else to recommend her.SAT scores can help make an initial decision easier, but the final admission decision should take other factors into account. Can SAT Scores Predict Future Success? The main reason that most people use SAT scores is because they are attempting to select people they feel will be successful at their school or company and beyond.The line of thinking is that people who score well on the SAT are intelligent or know how to prepare for something well, and they will continue to use those skills in the future.Is this true? The short answer is, â€Å"sometimes.† A high school student who scores well on the SAT will usually have at least a certain degree of intelligence and motivation, but that does not always mean they will do well in college. The student could have spent a lot of time studying for the SAT but then felt like he could coast once he got to college, he could find the heavy workload challenging, he may struggle to adapt to new surroundings, he may not work well in groups, or one of many more potential scenarios. Researchers who have studied this relationship have found that SAT scores only account for 10-20 percent of the variation in their college GPAs freshman year;however, this study did not take into account that schools admit students with a relatively narrow range of SAT scores, which may make the relationship appear weaker than it is.Anotherstudy found that high school GPA is a better indicator of whether a student will succeed in college than SAT score.Thismakes sense because a GPA takes into account the grades from your entire four years in high school, as opposed to the scores of a single test. The relationship between SAT scores and career success is even weaker.There is a correlation between people with higher SAT scores and people who end up working in more competitive fields and have more advanced degrees, but SAT score alone doesn’t always predict success.There are numerous factors required to be successful in most careers that the SAT can’t test for, such as interpersonal skills and work ethic, not to mention the specific skills needed to do certain jobs well. Bottom Line SAT scores should never be used as the sole indicator of someone’s intelligence or probability of success; they don’t measure a wide enough variety of skills or types of intelligence, and they can be influenced by too many outside factors. However, studies have shown a strong correlation between SAT score and IQ, and a person who does well on the SAT is usuallyeither intelligent, hard-working, or a combination of the two, which can make them more successful students and employees. In the end, SAT scores should be used as one part of an application that, along with other materials such as GPA, letters of recommendation, personal statements, and extracurriculars can help determine personal strengths and identify which people have a higher probability of success. What's Next? Want more information about the SAT? We have a complete explanation of the test and the impact it has on schools and students. Wondering what SAT scores measure?Read our guide to learn the relationship between SAT scores, IQ, and income. Looking for more information on SAT scores?Our guide explains how the SAT is scored and what those scores mean. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Classical And Modern Natural Art Forms Case Study

Classical And Modern Natural Art Forms - Case Study Example Opera is a multi-dimensional art form that brings numerous art forms together. It is all art forms rolled into one. The numerous arts that are present in an opera are costumes (couture), the story (theatre), sets (visual art), dance (choreography), lighting (technical art), singing (vocal art), drama (acting) and orchestra (music) (Zouves, 2009). All these arts converge and result in a perfect performing art called opera. Films are also an art form and more importantly, the most liked and appreciated the modern form of entertainment. Films too like an opera use different art forms to produce a single art form (Livingston, 2009). A film is different from other art forms in the way that it records and captures the performance as a series of images and then reproduces it to be watched multiple times without actually having to put in the efforts. That it reproduces the performance as and when desired. The stage is a very important aspect during an opera performance. Appropriate use of th e entire stage is very essential in order to grab the attention of the audience. If the stage is not used to the best effect, then an opera act will not be able to integrate itself with the musical idiom of the operatic text, ideas and the atmosphere (Parker, 2001). The entire act is performed on a single stage including orchestra which will be stationed on the stage. An opera performance requires frequent re-formation of the stage to suit the scenarios (Ewans, 2007). On the other hand, films don’t have a centralized stage like an opera. Films are shot on real locations and artificial sets put up to portray real places. More than the use of the stage, the way it is captured by the camera is more important. The priority in a film is in the way the stage is designed and captured rather than the use of it by artists.