The nature-nurture debate refers to

The growth and development of an individual is greatly affected by heredity and environment as well as the interaction between heredity and environment. However, there are certain issues and controversies related to this phenomenon.

Key Points

Nature vs. Nurture

• The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in psychology. The debate centres on the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development.
• The term ‘nature’ stands for what comes to children through genetic influences and heredity, i.e. it denotes the influence of factors inherent in the child himself from the time he is conceived.
• On the other hand, the term ‘nurture’ stands for the influence of the environment on child development, i.e. all the contextual factors that influence who we are, including our perceptions of early childhood, our social relationships and the society around us. It denotes the extrinsic forces, influences and conditions that affect the growth and development of an individual.
• In other words, the controversy on nature versus nurture concerns whether human behaviour is influenced by the environment or by the genes of an individual.
• Heredity and environment both play a significant role in the development of children. Any individual trait is the 'result' of both genetics and the environment. Heredity determines the probable biological limits, whereas the environment determines the level up to which the development is possible.

Hence, the nature-nature debate refers to ​genetics and the environment.