The Role Of Nature And Nurture In Neuroplasticity
The human brain is one of the most intricate and essential structures in the universe as we know it. And although there are many incredible aspects of the brain, one of the most amazing capabilities of the brain is a term called “neuroplasticity”. Neuroplasticity essentially refers to the way in which the brain forms and reorganizes the synaptic connections, especially in response to experiences. Neuroplasticity exists in both the developing child’s brain as well as in the adult brain, but the nature vs nurture debate on the topic of neuroplasticity is one worth discussing.
As parents, relatives, teachers, and as a society as a whole, we have a massive responsibility to shape the brain inside of each child’s head and in the long term, the type of person he/she will develop into. Yes, we are born into the world with a certain level of pre-set brain physiology due to genetics, however, we cannot undermine the fact that each and every brain is shaped into its own arrangement through the experiences gained from our environment. The brain is able to rewire itself as a reaction to the demands that are placed on it by our external environment.
It is crucial to comprehend how environmental influences interact with our genetic makeup. An example of this would be the fact that despite their genetic differences, “...children are similarly affected by developmental experiences, be it family poverty, parental warmth and hostility, or quality of child care to cite but a few widely investigated topics of inquiry”. We should not underestimate the collateral progress that can be made once we take the time to hone in on the impact of environmental influences and the way it engages with our pre-existing genetic makeup. An example of this would be the fact that despite their genetic differences, “...children are similarly affected by developmental experiences, be it family poverty, parental warmth and hostility, or quality of child care to cite but a few widely investigated topics of inquiry”.
In fact, “...data collected for the large scale National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care, found that infants who are rated as highly negatively emotional at 6 months by their mothers not only manifest more behavior problems in early childhood when experiencing low quality parenting or low quality child care than do other children, they also display fewer problems and more social skills than other children when exposed to high quality parenting or child care”. This mere fact shows just how influential the quality of the surrounding environment and nurturing of children is to their overall development as that is the environment they will be constantly observing, absorbing, and learning from the most as they navigate their identity and discover the world around them in their formative years. A positive family environment composed of love, security, and support coupled with a healthy academic environment that fosters social and emotional development are key to attaining optimal development for children.
In conclusion, nature and nurture are both vital to the development of humans. However, we should invest in new research and methods for analyzing various environments, consequent behaviour and outcomes of health to the same degree of emphasis that we have had for studying hereditary qualities and nature. Thus, only by joining the two pieces of nature and nurture will we be able to see the entire picture of what wholesome development looks like.
