‘Learner’s development is product of heredity and environment.’ Justify
this statement with suitable examples.
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:The Meaning of Heredity:
Man’s behaviour is influenced by two forces: heredity and environment. The biological or psychological characteristics which are transmitted by the parents to their off-springs are known by the name of heredity. Heredity is, in other words, a biological process of transmission of certain traits of behaviour of the parents to their children, by means of the fertilized egg. Heredity traits are innate; they are present at birth.
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The human individual is the progeny of two parent cells that come together when a male sperm fertilizes a female egg. In the nuclei of these parent cells are certain hair like substances called ‘chromosomes’. The chromosomes contain chemical substances called genes. These basic substances, chromosomes and genes determine characteristics of the individual. And this is what constitutes heredity.
The essential characteristics inherited by all human beings are physical structure, reflexes, innate drives, intelligence, and temperament. There are some biologists who claim that the difference in the traits or qualities of individuals or groups are due to the difference in their heredity. They are duly supported by some psychologists and sociologists in their assertion, that like begets like.
But there are others who explain that the variations of human beings and the societies are due to differences in environment. Thus a great controversy has been going on since long about the relative importance of heredity and environment in determining the behaviour of individuals and groups.
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Though arguments have been advanced by the supporters of both heredity and environment, no exact conclusions with regard to the relative importance of the two factors have been drawn, nor is it possible either to determine the relative values of both.
Modern biology has long insisted that we are what our parents and grandparents have made us, that heredity counts far more than social opportunity. Not only it is impossible for a man to change his skin, but he cannot change his outlook, his mode of thinking or behaviour because these too are hereditary. Others, on the other hand, belittle the importance of heredity.
Effects of Heredity:
The main supporters of the heredity theory have been authors like Galton, Karl Pearson, Mc Dougall, and others while the champions of the environment have been G. B. Watson in the United States and other behaviourist authors.
Among the arguments brought forward in support of the preeminence of heredity over environment following are most important:
Galton’s studies:
Galton in his pioneer work on Hereditary Genius (1869) has sought to show that the probability of the occurrence of greatly gifted children is vastly higher when the fathers are of a superior intelligence.
Karl Pearson’s researches:
Karl Pearson had also concluded that the influence of the environment is far less than that of heredity in determination of importance of human differences. According to him, it was possible to measure the relative efficiency of the two. He had given evidence to show that for people of the same race within a given community heredity is more than seven times more important than environment.
Groups of higher intellectual rating produce more persons of genius:
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Like Pearson many other researchers have shown that the groups with the higher social or intellectual rating have produced more persons of genius or distinction. For instance, royal families produce in proportion more geniuses than others, families of the clergy in the United States produce the largest proportion of notable men, followed in order by the other professions, businessmen, farmers, labourers and so on.
Difference in intelligence levels of different occupation groups:
Some writers have brought out considerable differences between the intelligence levels of different occupation groups. For instance, it has been found that the children of professional parents had an intelligence quotient of 116; those of semi-professional and managerial classes 112; clerical, skilled trades, and retail business 107.5; semi-skilled, minor clerical occupation and business 105; slightly skilled 98 and finally, the children of labourers, urban and rural farmers 96.
But all this is not necessarily due to heredity. These are no doubt important facts but conclusions drawn from them appear to be superficial. They simply give evidence regarding a common observation: that those who are born in the families possessing distinction are more likely to develop intellectual and other attainments. But these facts tell us nothing how these differences are attributed to heredity.
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