Heredity or environment?
does each have?
Thirdly, the experiment by psychologists Skeels and Dye (1939) can help
further in our quest of nature vs. nurture. Here they picked 13 infants of
about 1 years from the orphanage and placed them with mentally
challenged women. They orphan children were thought to be dumb by birth.
To compare, they also handpicked a group of 12 children and left them in the
orphanage where they were not given proper attention and the surroundings
lacked toys (stimulating conditions). The mentally challenged women grew
close to their children and each child became attached to one in particular.
Surprisingly after 2 years, the children at the orphanage dropped by 30 point
in IQ while the other group gained an average of 28. Not only this but years
down the lane these children (adopted by mentally challenged women) had
better education, better wages and almost all were married in comparison to
the other group.
In light of these cases, we can draw the conclusion that although both nature
and nurture plays its own part in the personality but they need a stimulus. If
the stimulating circumstances are not present then their effects becomes
dormant and make them look non-existent. This was the case with Isabelle
who although had the genes but they were oppressed by nurture. And when
nature was given a chance, it allowed her to return back to a normal state.
Hence the one to which a person is more exposed to (upbringing) will
dominate over the other.