Scientists and psychologists have long studied how much of your personality comes from your parents or how

much of it comes from the interactions you've had in your life. Throughout history this has been one of the most commonly asked questions in both psychology and in genetics. ! ! As we know genes are the blue prints of ourselves both inside and outside, we know this on a biological stance, but how much does genetics a"ect us psychologically? If two identical twins were raised by di"erent parents and in a di"erent environment they would obviously have di"erent views and values on the world, but how similar would they be to each other mentally? Growing up we pick up so many things and experiences that shape us to who we are today, at least that is what psychologists say. Geneticists on the other, hand believe that much of our personality can be traced back to the chemical makeup of our genes.! In an excerpt from No Two Alike: Human Nature and Human Individuality by psychologist, Judith Rich Harris challenges the idea that home environment is the most a"ective part of personality development. "The error is the assumption that what a child learns in his home environment is automatically carried along with him to other settings...There are researchers who believe that a childs attachment to his mother in infancy sets the pattern for all his later relationships. If his mother gave him all the love and attention he desired well in life because he has learnt to trust people... A baby is wise enough to understand, almost from birth, that people di!er. The fact that his mother treats him well doesnt lead him to expect that his sister or the babysitter will also do so. How other people will act towards him is something he will have to nd out for himself, person by person.ni Researchers have discovered that the babies of mothers su!ering from postnatal depression tend to act in a sombre, subdued fashion in the presence of their mothers. But around other familiar caregivers, these babies act quite normally much more lively and cheerful. Just because Mummy is depressed doesnt mean everyone is depressed." Does our home environment really a"ect our personality more than our genes? ! ! It seems as if researchers have been going deeper into the meaning of this question, and over the past decade they have found more and more genes all relating and or a"ecting potential personality traits. Like, in a study conducted by a group of scientist discovered that people with who had two copies of the G version of the oxytocin receptor gene (oxytocin is a hormone commonly known as the 'cuddle' hormone, which is normally released i forming long-lasting bonds with people and helping women during child labor) were seen as morenijii trustworthy, compassionate, and kinder people than those with the A version of the gene. This discovery can potentially explain why ji people are kinder than others.!

In other studies it was said that one single gene cannot possibly be responsible for one single personality trait, that genes a"ect one another because they are so intricately woven together to create one single organism and function as one. Because of that, geneticists often say that it is like trying to take a thread out of a tapestry, you can't take a single thread out without a"ecting the rest of it. In conclusion, the 'nature vs nurture' theory is something that has been and will continue to be studied in both psychology and in genetics science. Both with one goal in mind, to nd out what inuences our personality the most; our nature or our surrounding environment.! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !