Dr. Towne believes that heredity is primarily responsible for personality traits. Dr. West believes that environmental influences are primarily responsible for personality traits. They are on different sides of the _____ debate.
Traits can be defined as the characteristics or features which are expressed by a person, which can be physical, physiological or metabolic.
The expression of a particular trait in an organism is dependent upon two major factors. They are:
Genes: Genes are the hereditary factors which are derived by an individual from his parents. The genes are responsible for most of the characteristics of an individual.
Environment: All organisms undergo genetic mutations (a sudden alteration its is genetic sequence) at random rates. Often some mutations result into the development of a trait that becomes beneficial for the organism as it provides it a survival advantage in the environment the organism is exposed to. This mutation gets retained in the organism by natural selection. Hence, we see environment also plays a vital role in determining the trait of a person.
In the given debate, Dr. Towne is favouring Heredity (Genes) while Dr. West is favouring the Environment.
