Nature vs. Nurture and
Intrinsic Motivation
By: Ken Link
A=
bstract
Nature and nurture contribu=
te
to the overall development of a human being’s thought, language,
motivation, emotion, personality, intelligence and attitude. Many theorists have published their
research results describing the various contributions of both nature and
nurture to this debate. These
factors to a person’s character are manifest throughout the developme=
ntal
stages of their life. In adul=
thood
self efficacy and intrinsic motivation are evident by the choices made in
personal actions and career selection.&nbs=
p;
Examples of present day individuals support the theories offered to
explain the self gratification of persons given the opportunity to experien=
ce
the positives of both nature and nurture.
If
individuals want to find intrinsic motivation in their life, they must be g=
iven
the opportunity through both elements of nature and nurture to be fulfilled=
. According to the text, Fundamentals of Psychology in Context,=
by Kosslyn and Rosenberg, Albert Einstein had an “independence of
mind…(as a) result of his parents encouraging him to be
independent…(he was not) coddled, but…stimulated” The text continues stating,
“multiple genes contribute to intelligence” (Kosslyn & Rosenberg, 265). From this information, the reader =
can
learn that the genius of Albert Einstein, a leading physicist and visionary=
of
the 1900’s was influenced by both his natural inclinations as well as=
the
nurturing atmosphere of his surroundings.
L=
ise
Eliot, PhD, a research neuroscientist had questioned, “How much of her
baby’s development is genetically ordained and how much is determined=
by
environment? Is there anything
parents can do to make their babies’ brains work better to help them
become smarter, happier people?” (Eliot, 2000). Similarly, P.J.
Fisher completed studies to prove “that multiple genes contribute to
intelligence” (Kosslyn &
Rosenberg, 265). Howev=
er, in
the text, Fundamentals of Psychology in Context,=
the authors Kosslyn and Rosenberg also discuss the concept of microenvironm=
ents. Those environments are created by
“inborn tendencies…behavior may shape environment…people
select aspects that appeal to them.” (Kosslyn & Rosenberg, 268).
J=
ean
Piaget a Swiss psychologist who studied cognitive development in the
1900’s developed the theory of equilibration, a knowing throughout li=
fe
that cannot be explained, describing intelligence as having an instinctual =
element.
(DeVires & Kohlberg, 268) He
also described Assimilation that allows schemas that have already been
developed by an individual to change when new stimuli are presented creating
new ideas or concepts. (Kossl=
yn
& Rosenberg, 392)
A=
lthough
these scientists expressed their views using sophisticated terminology, Lise
Elliot concluded, “Children’s development is determined by both=
the
genes they are born with and the richness of their early environment.”=
; (Elliot,
2000) This statement captures=
what
I believe to be true.
L=
earning
is defined by David G. Myers in his text, Psychology
(ninth edition) as “a relatively permanent change in an organism̵=
7;s
behavior due to experience.”
He further explains that learning is the building block of thought,
language, motivation, emotion, personality and attitude that molds one̵=
7;s
character. (Myers, 291) Exper=
iences
gained from childhood to adulthood create the unique quality and personalit=
y of
an individual.
F=
rom
birth until a child enters a formal learning situation, major learning comes
from those who surround them.
Differences may occur if the child has an adult driven environment, =
or
if other children, such as siblings, are involved. The child in these cases may be ex=
posed
to more stimulation that will affect their learning in comparison to the
children who unfortunately have fewer outside interactions; having fewer
stimuli affecting their learning.
Rene Spitz, a psychiatrist practicing during the 1940’s, studi=
ed
two groups of children. One g=
roup
was raised in a foundling home considered adequate for its time. The second group was comprised of
children placed in a nursery near their incarcerated mothers. Both environments provided the bas=
ic
necessities for the children; food, clothing, medical care. Spitz discovered that the two situ=
ations
did differ in the aspect of nurturing.&nbs=
p;
The foundling home had one caretaker for every eight children and the
babies were isolated in their cribs with little to no stimulation. Many of these babies did not survi=
ve, or
suffered from cognitive, emotional and physical developmental delays. In contrast, the children cared fo=
r in
the prison nursery experienced mothers who “lavished enormous attenti=
on
and affection on them” (Elliot, 2000)
even though the mothers were given limited time to nurse and care for t=
heir
babies. These children develo=
ped
normally despite the institutional environment and limited interaction with
their mothers. (Elliot, 2000)
As
children move on in their development, they are exposed to many stimuli from
their school experiences. The=
se
environmental encounters coincide with internal physical changes occurring =
in
the individuals. At the schoo=
l-age
stage of a child’s life they experience maturation, changes resulting
from the growth of internal structures as well as learning, the response to
stimulation from the environment. (Gagne & Perkins Driscoll, 3). During these stages, children are
developing intrinsic intellectual skills of “knowing how” as th=
ey
begin to state facts toward “knowing that”(Gagne & Perkins
Driscoll, 47). Those influenc=
ing
children at this time include teachers, coaches, relatives, sports and
entertainment celebrities, as well as their peers. This is also a time when attitudes
develop. Robert M. Gagne and =
Marcy
Perkins Driscoll state that “An attitude…is an acquired internal
state that influences the choice of personal action.” (p.58) When considering physical developme=
nt,
scientists have proven that male’s gross motor skills are acquired
earlier than females; visual and spatial skills also excel earlier. However, males reading and fine mo=
tor
skills develop much later than their female peers. (Kantrowitz & Kalb,5=
5)
S=
o when
considering how children develop positive intrinsic motivation and the desi=
re
to learn or enjoy something, it can be proposed that both their genes and t=
heir
environment play a role. Lear=
ning
is measured in the United States using a general tool referred to as the
Intelligence Quotient, or IQ. This
measurement is based on test scores and norms that compare mental age to
chronological age. When explo=
ring
theories of how children find pleasure in learning, Howard Gardner believes=
intelligence
should not be measured as a single entity outside of a natural learning
environment through a standardized IQ test; each person has a dominant
intelligence that helps to solve problems and accomplish tasks. (Jalongo &a=
mp;
Isenberg,136) This dominant
intelligence is based on an innate, predisposition or attitude as referred =
to
by Gagne and Driscoll; the choice of personal action. These two theorists further explai=
n the
concept of self-efficacy as the conviction to successfully carry out a beha=
vior
to produce a particular performance.
This in-turn creates satisfaction, resulting from successful complet=
ion
of a learning task. (Gagne &a=
mp;
Driscoll,65-70)
T=
his
ongoing self-fulfillment in the learning process continues throughout
life. Lise Eliot states, R=
20;the
potential of “decoding” the blueprint for every individual,
figuring out where each of our strengths and weaknesses lies…Brain
hardware is not fixed, but living, dynamic tissue that is constantly updati=
ng
itself to meet the sensory, motor, emotional, and intellectual demands at
hand.”(Elliot, 2000)
A=
s an
individual matures, they find satisfaction in mastering skills; skills deri=
ved
from areas Gardner described as dominant intelligence. Deborah J. Stipek states, in her b=
ook Motivation to Learn from theory to Pra=
ctice,
“mastery is increasingly defined by the social environment as
children get older…In some cases, competence is defined by the task.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> In others it is defined by the soc=
ial
environment.” (p.42-43) Sigmund Freud believed “biological forc=
es
(are) aimed always at the satisfaction of instinctual needs. Besides the life-preserving life
instincts and the aggressive instincts of the death instincts…”
(Weber,110).
T=
hese
biological changes can also be related to Erik Erikson’s psychosocial
stages as discussed in the text, Fu=
ndamentals
of Psychology in Context.
During middle adulthood, an individual reflects on their lives and s=
eems
to make a conscious effort to leave a legacy for future generations so their
lives do not feel meaningless (p.414).&nbs=
p;
In many cases, I believe this legacy is related to those things in l=
ife
that brought personal satisfaction to the individual and were in areas where
the individual excelled either intrinsically or by societal standards.
A=
s an
adult chooses a career field, they may begin by placing value on a position
that yields the greatest financial reward.=
However, as they mature, they find that financial gain, although oft=
en
necessary, may not be what is of greatest reward. In the article, In Nature vs. Nurture, Learned Behaviors Rule, the author
summarizes accounts of a graduating class of paramedics, “Many of the
students voiced concerns about having to work with a paramedic or fire
department partner who had no desire to take care of people and who only we=
nt
to paramedic school to…earn more money. The graduates said they wanted to =
work
with passionate people.” (Evans,2004) At the same time, these students a=
lso
agreed that “Most paramedics didn’t enter the profession to get
rich; however, they expect financial security and to be comfortable…to
provide for their families and to retire with stability after 20 years of
employment.” (Evans,200=
4)
T=
his
article hit home. To further
justify my belief that both genes and environment creates the person you
become, I decided to conduct an informal survey of my peers. However, due to fortunate circumst=
ance I
was able to reach individuals in a broader spectrum than I had originally
planned. As I was reading my
e-mails, I found an article from FireRescue1.com. On this web site, you can ask a pa=
nel
questions concerning related issues of the fire service. I contacted the Online Director, J=
on
Hughes asking him if I could ask the panel four questions. This panel is referred to as The Kitchen Table. The questions were: “Do you enjoy your current
occupation, if yes, why?”, “What makes you satisfied with your =
job
performance?” Why did y=
ou
choose this career?”, “If you are not happy in your current
position why?”
I=
wish
to share some of those responses, however the participants asked that their
identities remain anonymous; referencing only The Kitchen Table.
Three of the six responses came from California, New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania, the others’ location are unknown. The respondents were volunteers and
career firefighters.
W=
hen
asked if the individual enjoyed their current occupation, the answers were =
all
positive and included a basic theme.
Love of job, daily challenges, a sense of family and community, help=
ing
others during their most difficult days, and the sense of making a differen=
ce
served to be the gratification of the position. Those responding to this first que=
stion
also found enthusiasm in being problem solvers and attacking those situatio=
ns
requiring quick thinking and decision making. This proves the theory stated earl=
ier by
Gagne and Driscoll concerning self-efficacy creating satisfaction from
successful completion of a task. &nbs=
p;
In
response to the second question asking them to judge their satisfaction in =
job
performance, a battalion chief stated:&nbs=
p;
W=
hen
people call 9-1-1, they are essentially saying that their situation is beyo=
nd
their control and ability; we come in, look at the situation, and apply a
solution that is literally thrown together with what we can find or what we
brought on the truck. There a=
re
individuals who MIGHT pull something like that off once in their lives; we =
do
it several times every day. (=
The Kitchen Table 11-6-09)
Others echoed this statement
with satisfaction of knowing they had helped someone by providing expertise=
in
physical rescue or other areas of community support when people were in
need. To successfully master a
situation using skills that are of an inherent nature, perfected through
training and education, proves the theory of Howard Gardner’s dominant
intelligence.
The
responses to the third question, it was interesting to see the theory state=
d by
Gagne and Driscoll surface, “An attitude…is an acquired internal
state that influences the choice of personal action.” (p.58) One Rescue Firefighter said:
“It’s all I wanted to do since a field trip to a fire station in
the 3rd grade. (The Kitc=
hen
Table 11-7-09) Another
firefighter stated:
S=
ometimes
I think this career chose me. I
started hanging around the fire station before I could even walk. My family had been involved in the=
fire
service for three generations before me, all as volunteers. I chose, and was lucky enough, to =
become
a paid firefighter and make a career out of something I knew for as long as=
I
can remember. (The Kitchen Table 11-11-09)
The statement above can als=
o be
related to the psychosocial stages theorized by Erikson of middle
adulthood. The volunteer
generations before this now career firefighter, have clearly left a legacy;
their example of community service was not meaningless.
A=
nother
fire fighter from California relates a story that occurred in High School,
after a small fire at the school, he was “in awe” at the smooth,
calculated movements of the responders.&nb=
sp;
After an enlistment in the Marine Corps he found satisfaction in
civilian life as a firefighter. He
seemed to have found himself returning to a desired sense of self-competency
and membership I a social environment witnessed in adolescence. As he explained,
I=
t was
the most fun I’d had up to that point…The way everyone talked a=
bout
their families like everyone knew each other’s family well and then t=
he
way everything turned serious when the tones went off. I was hooked. (The
Kitchen Table 11-16-09)
As Stipek theorized, as
children get older…competence is defined by the task. In others it is defined by the soc=
ial
environment.” (Stipek, 42-43)
After
reading the article, In Nature vs.
Nurture, Learned Behaviors Rule by Bruce Evens, I thought it would be
important to ask why an individual would stay in an occupation if they were
unhappy. In response to the f=
ourth
question presented on The Kitchen T=
able, it
was evident that none of those who responded disliked their jobs. One gentleman was happy with his c=
areer,
but not as satisfied with the particular department, he stated,
“…unfortunately I am too old to move on and try another
department.” (The Kitchen Tab=
le 11-16-09) Another firefighter stated that ev=
ery
job has issues. Echoing that
concept was another responder who listed those issues as added workloads, t=
he
economy and limited staffing, however, he did say that these downfalls resu=
lted
in increased creativity and teamwork; relying on the strengths of otherR=
17;s
expertise. The most interesting response to the fourth question, “If =
you
are not happy in your current position, why?,” came from a volunteer
firefighter. He stated: ̶=
0;If I
were younger I would give up working as a psychotherapist and do this full =
time
in wild land fire (fighting). (I)
Prefer the outdoor life.” (The
Kitchen Table 11-8-09)
A=
lthough
there are both positives and negatives in every job, all of the firefighters
responding to this informal survey seemed happy in their positions. They all seemed to have a passion =
for
their choice in community service.
As Evan’s article stated, “Recent graduates said they wa=
nt
to work with people…these students have a genuine concern for patient
care…Most students feared being stuck with a partner who would stifle=
their
passion.” (Evans, 20) Of the many firefighters I have
encountered, and in relation to these I have quoted, it does seem as though
they still have passion for their jobs.&nb=
sp;
They genuinely like what they are doing and how they perform their
work. It would be unrealistic;
however, to think that everyone is completely satisfied in their career.
T=
he debate
of nature or nurture being the dominant factor in a person’s
psychological make-up is easily recognized when considering what makes peop=
le
choose a career or life activity.
If individuals want to have gratification in their life, they must be
given the opportunity to experience the positives of both nature and
nurture. For those individual=
s who
have found personal satisfaction in their adult life, it can be said that i=
t is
due to the intrinsic motivation stemming from their genetic make-up as well=
as
from the influences they had throughout their cognitive development in vari=
ous
stages of their life.
<= o:p>
Reference
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, L.
(1987). Constructivist Early Education: Overview and Comparison
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Eliot, L. (2000). Nurtu=
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Evans, B. (2004, July). In
Nature vs. Nurture, Learned Behaviors Rule. Fire Chief, 20-22.
Gagne, R. M., & Perkins
Driscoll, M. (1988). Essentials of Learning for Instruction
(=
Second
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,3.
3,47.
FireRescue1.com. (2009,
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Renck
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&=
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