Content Outline

Now that I have completed the two more huge parts of deadline 10, I am continuing on to put the research I’ve done into a content outline.

1. An opening section
1. Nature and Nurture have a combined effect on personality and other developmental traits. However, you cannot say it is one, or the other, or both. It depends on the trait you are examining. There is no answer to the Nature vs. Nurture debate.
2. Relate to reader
1. Are you you because of your genes? Or are you you because of your environment?
3. Come up with examples
1. Why do you have anxiety? It is because it’s in your DNA?
2. Why do you like dogs? Is it because your parents did?
3. Why do you have the BMI you do? Genetics? Environment?
4. Why do you procrastinate? Is it because you were raised to procrastinate?
5. Why are you empathetic? Is it because you were exposed to lots of different people of different financial and cultural backgrounds?
6. Why do you have schizophrenia? Is it in your genes?
2. At least 3 main body sections (more’s fine)
1. Nature and Nurture have an equal effect on personality
1. Nature or Nurture? The Long-Running Debate May Finally Be Settled
1. What’s this prove?
1. “The analysis — involving more than 14.5 million twin pairs from 39 countries — indicates that nature and nurture are virtually tied.”
2. “Some traits turned out to be more heritable than others. For instance, cleft lip was found to be 98 percent heritable, risk for having bipolar disorder about 70 percent heritable.”
3. The two are inseparable however you cannot make sweeping generalizations about the relationship because it depends on the genes
2. Why does this matter?
1. It proves my point but also shows a little (adaptable) flaw in my argument - that you cannot generalize nature vs. nurture
2. There is no singular way to describe this relationship but it is predominantly a combination of nature and nurture
2. Stress and Trauma in Childhood Affect Gene Expression for Life
1. What’s this prove?
1. “[The glucocorticoid] receptor gene may play a significant role in the pathway linking adverse or stressful life events and health problems, or even social difficulties.”
2. “In children who had suffered abuse, these promoter regions were methylated at much higher rates than in children who had not been abused.”
3. Different life experiences affect the production of chemicals in the body
2. Why does this matter?
1. While your genetics may dictate one action from the glucocorticoid receptor, your environment may cause another - occasional predominance
2. Some people believe otherwise, but… they’re wrong
1. Nature vs. Nurture: New Science Stirs Debate
1. What’s this prove?
1. That people think you can make a generalization based on a study of one thing (resiliency)
2. Why does this matter?
1. This may be true for resiliency but it does not mean you can say this is true for every trait
2. A Unique Look at Nature vs. Nurture
1. What’s this prove?
1. “The fact that these girls are showing such matched patterns of development speaks strongly to genetic factors.”
2. “New research shows that genetic differences between twins increase over time, especially in twins who have lived apart for a long time.”
3. Again, trying to make a generalization after one study, simple not possible
2. Why does this matter?
1. You cannot make a generalization about nature vs. nurture based off of one study
3. Your genes are what they are but different environmental factors activate different gene sequences
1. The End of Nature Versus Nurture
1. What’s this prove?
1. “Unlike the static conception of nature or nurture, epigenetic research demonstrates how genes and environments continuously interact to produce characteristics throughout a lifetime.”
2. Genes and environment interact and affect one another constantly
2. Why does this matter?
1. Supports the idea that you cannot separate the two, they must be considered together
2. Environmental Influences on Gene Expression
1. What’s this prove?
1. “There are many specific instances of environmental influences on gene expression. However, it is important to keep in mind that there is a very complex interaction between our genes and our environment that defines our phenotype and who we are.”
2. Different environmental factors cause a gene to be expressed
2. Why does this matter?
1. You may have things in your genes that are never expressed because the environmental factors that trigger those genes never existed
3. Environment and Genetics work together
1. Some idea about how to explain the larger significance of your subject in the closing section
1. Understanding how environment can influence your health, mental well being, and personality can help you to make choices to help yourself.
1. Is procrastinating really having a positive effect on your happiness?
2. Do you have chronic stomach aches because it’s genetic or because of something in your environment?
3. Starting to understand the causes of various things and asking questions about why you act the way you do or why you feel the way you do can help you lead a happier, healthier life
2. Whether or not certain genes are activated by certain environmental factors can help parents as well as individuals make better choices for themselves and their kids