Beautiful question project

1. Beautiful question project Danielle Proulx

2. My Beautiful Question Why am I me?... Is our personality based purely on our genetic makeup? OR Does our parent’s choice in parenting style determine what kind of a person we will become?

3. Do me a favor? Really think about this question and figure out what you feel makes us, us! Now keep that answer tucked away in the back of your mind.

4. Why is this my question? • I’m a nursing major here at URI and when I graduate it would be a dream come true to be a maternity nurse. • Maternity nursing deals with parenting and genes so I need some answers! PLUS • There’s a chance that I could be asked parenting questions by my patients, so I need to know the good advice to give.

5. In my opinion… • Our personality is a combination of these two theories… • I’ve been told that I have my Dad’s sense of humor, but my Mom’s over preparedness. I have been told that I became a nursing major because my Mom is a physical therapist and healthcare is in my genes, and that I was always good at math because I have some of my Dad’s engineering genes. • So, that means that genes have something to do with some of my personality BUT! • I have a brother and a sister. All three of us were raised under the same roof with the same rules and the same parents…we couldn’t be more different. (exaggerating a little) • My sister is pretty outgoing but can be shy and awkward as well. She got in her fair share of trouble, being the oldest, but doesn’t cause too much chaos. She doesn’t like to be in the spotlight, and likes to go out and have fun but also appreciates her alone time. • My brother is the middle child and was always the trouble maker. He’s extremely outgoing and usually the center of attention. He loves big outings and being surrounded by people all. the. time. • As for me (the youngest), I’m pretty shy until you get to know me. I wouldn’t say I’m ridiculously outgoing at first meeting. I like my alone time a lot and am content doing very simple things. I didn’t get into much trouble when I was younger either. • This means that genes don’t have everything to do with how our personality forms.

6. What is the nature vs. nurture debate? • Nature = genetic inheritance, the aspects of ourselves that we are born with right away • Nurture = environmental factors, including things like parents, school, friends, work, etc. This side of the debate refers to the things we learn and experience. • Plato and Descartes are just some of the philosophers who say that we are born who we are. It doesn’t matter what we experience, we have already have a predetermined personality. • John Locke is just one of many who says that we are born a “blank slate” and our experiences build our personalities. He coined the phrase tabula rasa, which means “blank slate”.

7. How can we analyze this theory? • It’s extremely difficult to determine if nature or nurture is responsible for who we are because • we are all raised differently OR • We have different genes OR • We have different life experiences • So, is there a way that we can eliminate one of these restrictions?...The answer is YES! And it lies in twins. • More specifically, we should look at identical twins who were separated, for whatever unfortunate reason, and raised by different parents!

8. Take a look at this video… It’s actually really interesting and gets the gears in your brain turning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd5Y3-F79LY

9. Let’s review! • These two identical twin sisters spent 35 years apart. • Linda was raised by their biological mother... • Doreen was raised by her alcoholic abductor • Linda was encouraged and provided with the opportunity to get an education • Doreen got pregnant at 17 and was unable to finish high school • Clearly, just from those basic facts we can see that these women lived extremely different lives. • When they were asked a series of questions, their similarities came out… • They are both scared of heights. • They both love darker colors. • They both said that they drink alcohol rarely to never. • They are the exact same height. These similarities may seem small, but in twins that were raised apart, they are actually extraordinary!

10. Based on the similarities of these women we can assume that some of our personality does, in fact, come from our genes.

11. BUT! Did you hear the little thing that they said at the end? Despite their similarities, they do still have their differences...which isn’t that hard to believe. So, they have all these random similarities and they also have their differences. Is it possible that this means we are a combination of genetic and environmental factors instead of just one or the other?

12. Based on the differences between these two women that were briefly brought up, we can assume that the other half of who we are is based on the environment. This means that parenting style does play a part in determining who we are.

13. It’s time to explore the different parenting styles There are 4 general parenting styles that I’ve learned about a couple times in my psych classes at URI • Authoritarian Parenting • This type of parenting involves very strict parents. There is a set of rules that are required for the children to follow and if they don’t then there are punishments involved. There isn’t much explanation for the parents actions, they are just in charge. • Authoritative Parenting • This type of parenting also involves set guidelines and rules, but punishment isn’t always put in place. These parents are more likely to listen to their kids and nurture them in a time where an authoritarian would just punish the child. Authoritative parenting can be described as a democracy. • Permissive Parenting • These parents don’t really set rules and therefore don’t punish their kids either. They see a limit in self control and maturity as normal. Confrontation is usually avoided in this parent-child relationship. • Uninvolved Parenting • Basic needs are the only needs that are met in uninvolved parenting. There are no expectations from the children or punishment. The parents are usually pretty detached from their kids.

14. Remembered Parenting Styles and Adjustment in Middle and Late Adulthood • I found a research article that studied the eventual outcome that different parenting styles had on people’s adulthood. • They asked adults what parenting style they remember their parents using from childhood and compared them to the participant’s experiences with depression, substance abuse, and psychological well-being. • The results showed that, “Adults who remember authoritative compared with authoritarian and uninvolved parents reported greater psychological well-being and fewer depressive symptoms” (Rothrauff et. al., 2009).

15. Basically what the article was trying to say was authoritative parenting is the way to go. Chances are if you set the rules but let kids make their own mistakes, they are going to have better life overall…in case anyone was looking for parenting advice!

16. Let’s see what other people have to say... • I discussed parenting styles with 5 different people. • I asked them whether we are a product of our genetic makeup or environmental factors. • All five of the people said that it is a combination of both factors. Some of them gave me more description saying that it was a combination of both but it was more nurture than nature. And then some went as far as to say 75% nurture and 20% nature…very specific. • I also presented the different parenting styles to these 5 individuals. • All five of them said, without hesitation, that the best style of parenting is authoritative, which I agree with.

17. More specifically, people said things like… • Nature vs. nurture? • “Nurture trumps nature in my opinion.” • “75% nurture, 20% nature, 5% wildcard. Definitely the biggest influence is how you are raised and influenced by your parents. Some families you really just question their gene pool though; no amount of nurturing is going to help.” • “I think we are who are we because of both nature and nurture. I think nurture has more to do with it though. I have three siblings and we're all so different it's hard to believe we come from the same parents.” • “I'd say a combination of both, but much more nurture. The way I was raised definitely has a lot to do with who I am today.” • “Combination of nature and nurture- we are born with the genes which we have no control of, these genes can influence or personality. The way our parents raise us plays a big role on our personality types. their beliefs commonly become our beliefs, beliefs turn into actions which make our personality.”

18. What parenting style is best? • “I believe authoritative parenting has the most positive outcomes. Too strict parenting rears anxious children who commonly end up rebelling, and too loose parenting rears children who do not know how to follow rules or accept responsibility and also usually go down destructive paths.” • “I think authoritative is the best. Rules are important because they teach a child discipline and help guide them with structure. However, a child will make mistakes. It is their job to make mistakes and that is how they learn.” • “I feel that authoritative is the best median of the two extremes in styles. I've met people with parents who fit each of these categories; I feel that people raised by authoritative parents were more able to function on their own.” • “Definitely authoritative because you shouldn't be best friends with your kid, you need to be a parental figure. You also can't be too strict because I've seen kids with super strict parents and the second they leave the house they go crazy with all the freedom they never had growing up.” • “Authoritative parents is definitely the most effective. Authoritarian parenting will most likely make your kid a sneak because they have to hide everything from you. Permissive parenting is pretty much asking for your kid to not respect you. Uninvolved parenting is just asking for your kid to have issues. By using authoritative parenting, you're providing a structured upbringing, while showing compassion.”

19. In conclusion… • It really isn’t right to say that our personality develops from just genetic factors or just environmental factors. • There are qualities that we inherit from our parents, physical traits and personality traits. • But we our personalities also develop based on the different experiences we live through. One of these big environmental factors is the parenting style that our parents choose. The combination of genetics and environment is one of the reasons that every person is unique. There is no way that two people can be completely identical because of these varying factors which is something that makes the world a little more beautiful.

20. Now, do you remember your answer from the beginning of the slideshow? Have your feelings changed at all? Why or why not?

21. References Brophy, S., Paulhardt, K., Mahon, M., Nagle, S., & Smith, Z. (2013, April 10). Interview by Proulx D. Beautiful question. Cherry, K. (2012). Parenting styles. About.com. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com Cherry, K. (2012). What is nature versus nurture? About.com. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com Rothrauff, T.C., Cooney, T.M., & An, J.S. (2009). Remembered parenting styles and adjustment in middle and late adulthood. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 64B(1), 137–146.