1. Nature vs. Nurture – means whether development is primarily influenced by nature or nurture, biological inheritance or environmental inheritance.

Continuity vs. Discontinuity – means whether development involves gradual, cumulative change (continuity) or distinct stages (discontinuity).

Early vs. Later experiences – means the degree to which early experiences (especially in infancy) or later experiences are the key determinants of children’s development.

When I look at nature vs nurture in my own life, I am one of three siblings and even though we have the same parents genetically, we are very different. Because of our upbringing, my sister and I had to take care of our brother. He was nurtured more than we were, almost babied. I noticed he did not excel in areas of development like my sister and I did. I have always wondered if it was caused by genetics or by experiences.

During my research, I came across an article “Are Siblings Different as Day and Night? Parents perception of Nature vs. Nurture. In this article talks about the parent-child relationship and what influences it, like parents age, education, beliefs, perceptions, and even the stability of the parents’ marriage. The outcome was that Psychosocial influences will effect each child differently, in the same family causing unique and diverse sibling personalities that are different as day and night. I found this interesting because when I think about my siblings, I thought it was based more on genetics and not as much about experience. 

2.  Nature vs. Nurture: This debate centers on whether genetic inheritance (nature) or environmental factors (nurture) play a more significant role in shaping an individual’s behavior, personality, and cognitive development.
Continuity vs. Discontinuity: This issue involves whether development is a smooth, gradual process (continuity) or a series of distinct stages (discontinuity) with sudden changes in behavior or understanding.
Early vs. Later Experience: This debate examines the relative importance of experiences in early childhood versus those that occur later in life in determining an individual’s long-term development and behavior.
 

Reflection on the “Nature vs. Nurture” Debate: Reflecting on my own experience, the nature vs. nurture debate relates to my development in terms of academic achievement. While I might have inherited a natural curiosity and cognitive abilities from my parents, the environment in which I was raised, including access to educational resources and encouragement from teachers, played a crucial role in shaping my academic success. My personal development appears to be a result of both genetic predispositions and environmental influences working together.