Religious Affiliations:
Religion is a powerful force affecting the development of personality. Although all religions preach the same things, they differ in their practices and rituals. They thus affect the way an individual thinks and behaves. The different festivals that an individual celebrates and the way he celebrates it is determined by religious affiliations.
Psychologists differ with regard to the importance they give to nature and nurture. However, in reality both heredity and the environment interact with each other to influence the development of the individual.
Some physical characteristics like eye color and blood type are clearly inherited. But more complex traits such as intelligence and personality are influenced by both hereditary and environmental factors.
Heredity sets limits and the environment helps the individual reach the limits. The influence of one is dependent on the contribution of the other. For example, intelligence has a strong hereditary component but parental stimulation and education, have a strong influence on its development.
Heredity factors produce their effects under the conditions provided by the environment. Environment affects the achievement of limits set by heredity. For example, the genes may set a limit on how tall a person may grow. Environmental factors such as diet and exercise will determine whether this limit is achieved or not.
An enriched environment is one that is favorable to development and accelerates development. An impoverished environment is one that is unfavorable to development and slows development.
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