Question: • What are your views on how nature (genetic and hereditary influences) and nurture (environmental influences) shape human development across the life span? Support your views with examples.
• Which area has more impact on human development, and why? Discuss in terms of a global impact and specific issues such as personality development, intelligence, mental illness, substance abuse, and sexual identity.
• How might your beliefs about nature versus nurture influence your future work in the human services field?
For example, if an administrator at a community service board believes that mental illness is related to environmental stressors, how might this influence agency policy? What if the administrator holds the opposite belief-that mental illness can be attributed to primarily bilogical causes?