Question

According to research conducted by Ridley (1999), how could individuals like Adolf Hitler, serial killer Ted Bundy, and Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh commit such acts according to the "nature versus nurture" debate?A) These individuals learned to commit these behaviors after staying in long periods of isolation according toRidley.B) These individuals were born (nature) to commit such horrendous acts. It was in their genetic make up.C) These individual's behaviors were attributed to "nurture" and influences of their parents.D) Their behaviors are the result of the interaction of nature and nurture.

Answer 1

Answer:

D) Their behaviors are the result of the interaction of nature and nurture.

Explanation:

The "nature versus nurture" debate is a centuries-old debate about what determines human behavior. This debate becomes more heated when discussing the actions of certain individuals that have been universally reviled, like dictator Adolf Hitler, serial killer Ted Bundy, and Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Were they born "evil", or did they become "evil". According to researcher Matt Riley, on his Nature via Nurture book, the relation between nature and nurture isn't one dominating over the other, or a simple causal relationship of one creating the other. Rather, there exists a dialectical relationship between both. In other words, the behaviors of the men listed above are the result of the interaction of nature and nurture, where each one of these can't explain their actions alone and by itself. Rather, it is the interaction between their genetic makeup and their particular life experiences that created their personalities.