Introduction to Psychology 10th Edition by Rod Plotnik,Haig Kouyoumdjian

Exercise 13

Who Matters More-Parents or Peers?
Sigmund Freud argued that parents are to blame for the problems of children. In fact, people all around the world, many psychologists included, believe that parents are responsible, at least in some way, for children's problems. But, could this notion that seems like indisputable common sense be wrong? Judith Harris, a researcher, argues that parents have minimal effect on their children's development, while peers have a much more influential role. Skeptical? Let's consider the changes in parenting styles over the years and the influence they have had on children's behavior. There has been a decrease in the use of physical punishment, yet children are no less aggressive than in earlier generations. Parents shower their children with more praise and affection than ever before, yet children's selfconfidence, happiness, and overall mental health are no better for it. Could it be that Harris has a valid point? Harris states that genetics is responsible for half of children's personality and peers are essentially responsible for the other half. Therefore, Harris is not saying environment doesn't play a role in shaping a child's development, but rather that the environment that is important is the one outside of the home. She provides support for this position by presenting research on identical twins (genetically almost indistinguishable) raised together, which shows they are no more alike than identical twins reared apart. Also, how people behave at home with their parents does not predict how they behave with teachers or bosses, and how one behaves with siblings does not predict how they interact with peers. Together, these findings suggest that the home environment has little effect on behavior and personality development. Research finds that children learn how to behave appropriately by observing their peers. If they simply imitated their parents' behaviors, their behavior would be considered quite odd. Children are motivated to be similar to their peers and at the same time to be better than them. They compare themselves to their peers to understand their strengths and weaknesses. By comparing their intellectual knowledge and ability with peers, children can judge how smart they really are. After all, children don't have to know more than their parents to be considered smart; they have to know more than their peers. Harris acknowledges that how parents interact with their child affects the child's behavior at home as well as how the child will regard the parents when he or she becomes an adult. However, she states that parents do not have a long-term effect on the type of person the child will become. There are many researchers who disagree with her. They cite studies showing that changes in the behavior of parents affect the behavior of children, even outside of the home. So then, which is more important to a child's development-parents or peers? It's difficult to answer with certainty. It seems they may be equally important, but perhaps in different ways.
Question
What is the name of the age-old question of which is more important-genetics or environment?