There has been a long lasting debate about the influence of nature and nurture on the way the person is. However, now many specialists think that it is time to stop the unproductive debate about the causes of the person’s successful performance (Levitt, 2013, p.1). We may look like our parents, but our sporting abilities and overall physical abilities depend to the large degree on how we are brought up in the early childhood by parents and later at kindergarten and school. So genes and environment have relative influences on us.
The struggle between two concepts may have been caused several decades ago when the individuals were assessed from different perspectives and the studies were not interdisciplinary. As the result, gene-environment interaction became a complex issue over which some specialists are still debating (Levitt, 2013, p.2). Nevertheless, now there is a broad view that the genetic factors influence the physical features and also have some influence on the health conditions, but the genetic factors have a very small influence on the human behavior (Levitt, 2013, p.3). That is the environment that is mainly responsible for the development of the person’s abilities.
In the survey that Levitt described in her article “Perceptions of nature, nurture and behavior” the respondents mainly agreed about the influence of the environment on them. At the same time, there is scientific evidence that different genes may influence the behavior too. For example, the gene MAOA, monoamine’oxidase A, leads to the aggressive behavior (Levitt, 2013, p.5). For sure, without some character traits a person will not become successful in sports. So there should be more research on what kind of genes the successful sportsmen usually have.
In terms of the physical capabilities, the vast majority of the people have some universal genes and in the proper environment they can become good sportsmen. Children’s temperament and being quick or slow are also partly influenced by the genes (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010). However, when a person grows up some physical features gradually emerge and thus the environmental support becomes of great importance (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010). So once again one may come to the conclusion that it will be right to take into account the genes and the environment when analyzing the person’s abilities.
Undoubtedly we cannot intervene into the nature in terms of the set of the genes in order to make the people stronger, but it is worth focusing on the environment in which the people grow up and live. Nurture may be achieved through different channels – physical, intellectual and social channels (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010). Modern schools, sport facilities, tight control of the food industry, etc. are the elements of the safe environment that may help the people to be healthy and strong. The more well-planned the environment is, the better chances for the development the person will have.
Of course it is difficult to explain whether a person may acquire some of the personal or physical traits that will help to succeed in sports. Can a shy person become more aggressive and decisive? Or can a person from a family in which all members are short and slow grow up tall and quick if there is a proper environment? The answers are likely to be negative, because a person does not have the inherited traits that help to be outgoing, tall and quick (Levitt, 2013, p.1). The body-build is what the person may work on, but failing to train regularly or to keep to a diet will probably lead to the return to the inherited body-build.
In conclusion, in the academic literature it is not common anymore to set the nature in opposition to the nurture. Both factors influence the person’s physical abilities. Even though the people have some universal genes, every person is unique. Therefore thanks to the proper nurture, the people are able to unlock their potential. The environment based on professionalism of the instructors, balanced diet and healthy life style may have a very positive impact on the physical capabilities of a person. One may see nowadays that there are many opportunities related to sports in our country, therefore we perform well at the international level and the reason is not the genes that we have.
Works Cited
McDevitt, M., Ormrod, J. Nature and Nurture. Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hill. 20 July
2010. Web. 11 March 2016
Levitt, M. Perceptions of Nature, Nurture and Behavior. Life Sciences, Society and Policy.
2013. Web. 11 March 2016
