Nurture Versus Nature The question of what is the greatest factor in the development of human intelligence, sociability, interpersonal skills, and personality has been debated as long as modern humanity has had the capacity to wonder about it. Depending on the intellectual background or mindset of any individual asked, the answer will vary. Some social scientists and theorists argue in behalf of the effect of the environment in which a child is raised as the primary influence. Many of those most thoroughly grounded in medical or physical science traditions can point to a number of ways, in which one's genetic code at birth, is the determining factor of how well or how thoroughly one's intelligence develops. The proliferation of the so-called "genius" sperm banks that exist give proof to how seriously that premise is believed by many. Not surprisingly, the number and type of studies that exist correspond with the particular belief pattern, or at least is biased, in favor of the thoughts and belief patterns of the individual researcher. According to Bettelheim (1998), some researchers are looking for a genetic basis for common, everyday behaviors, including sexuality, violence, and risk-taking. There is an ongoing debate, sometimes a heated one, over how much biology controls what a person does; the flip side of the debate asks whether society relies too much on science without enough focus on the undeniably important aspects of the parents' and caregivers' of a child to appropriately nurture his or her growth. Some feel the importance of social/economic conditions and life in the home is downplayed far too much. Advocates on the nurture side of the argument point to the fact that the input of the child's role model is of far greater importance than any aspect of genetic make up. Of course, culture serves as yet another point of argument in the debate. Two sides of the issue exist in terms of cultural expectation for development of intelligence.
