---
title: "Nature and Nurture — AP Psychology Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "Nature and nurture is the AP Psych thematic issue asking how genes and environment shape development. Tied to LO 3.1.A and twin study research in Unit 3."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-psych-revised/key-terms/nature-and-nurture"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP Psychology"
unit: "Unit 3"
---

# Nature and Nurture — AP Psychology Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

Nature and nurture is a thematic issue in developmental psychology (Topic 3.1) that examines how much of human development comes from biological and genetic factors (nature) versus environmental and experiential factors (nurture), with most psychologists agreeing both interact.

## What It Is

Nature and nurture is one of the three big thematic issues developmental psychologists care about, alongside [stability and change](/ap-psych-revised/unit-3/1-themes-and-methods-in-developmental-psychology/study-guide/YPLElYYfgpd4SBpP "fv-autolink"), and continuous versus discontinuous development. The question is simple to state and hard to answer. How much of who you are comes from your genes ([nature](/ap-psych-revised/unit-1/1-interaction-of-heredity-and-environment/study-guide/K7DZeZixZvfWKSxV "fv-autolink")), and how much comes from your environment and experiences (nurture)?

Here's the part the AP exam actually wants you to understand. It's not a true either/or debate anymore. Modern psychology treats nature and nurture as interacting forces. A classic example straight from AP-style questions is identical twins. They share the same DNA, yet one twin can develop an [anxiety](/ap-psych-revised/key-terms/anxiety "fv-autolink") disorder while the other doesn't. Same nature, different outcomes, which means nurture (environment, experience, stress) had to play a part. That's why twin studies, especially comparisons of identical twins raised together versus raised apart, are the go-to research design for untangling these two influences.

## Why It Matters

This term lives in **Topic 3.1: Themes and Methods in Developmental Psychology** ([Unit 3](/ap-psych-revised/unit-3 "fv-autolink"): Development and Learning) and directly supports learning objective **3.1.A**, which asks you to explain how enduring themes inform developmental psychology. The essential knowledge for 3.1.A names nature and nurture explicitly as one of the thematic issues, so this is straight-from-the-CED vocabulary, not optional extra.

It also connects to **3.1.B**, because the research designs psychologists use (cross-sectional, longitudinal, [twin studies](/ap-psych-revised/key-terms/twin-studies "fv-autolink")) are how they actually test nature-nurture questions. And the theme echoes far beyond Unit 3. Almost every unit in AP Psych has a nature-nurture angle, from genetics and heredity in biological bases to learned behavior in the learning topics. If you can spot whether a question is about biology or experience, you can usually find the answer.

## Connections

### Stability and change (Unit 3)

This is the sibling thematic issue, and the one most often confused with nature and nurture. Stability and change asks whether traits persist over time (does a shy kid become a shy adult?), while nature and nurture asks where traits come from in the first place. Same topic, different question.

### Continuous and discontinuous development (Unit 3)

The third thematic issue from LO 3.1.A. It asks whether development is a smooth ramp or a set of distinct stages. Knowing all three themes as a set makes the 'which thematic issue is this?' multiple-choice questions almost automatic.

### [Cross-sectional research design (Unit 3)](/ap-psych-revised/key-terms/cross-sectional-research-design)

Themes need methods. LO 3.1.B covers how cross-sectional and longitudinal designs answer developmental questions, including nature-nurture ones. A twin study comparing identical twins raised together versus apart is the classic design for separating genetic influence from environmental influence.

### Heredity and genetics (Unit 1)

The 'nature' half of this theme is built on the biological bases content from [Unit 1](/ap-psych-revised/unit-1 "fv-autolink"). Genes, heredity, and behavior genetics give you the mechanism behind nature, so a strong Unit 1 foundation makes the developmental version of this debate much easier to argue.

## On the AP Exam

Nature and nurture shows up most often in multiple-choice questions that describe a research scenario and ask you to identify which thematic issue it represents. The classic stem describes identical twins with different outcomes, like one twin developing an anxiety disorder while the other doesn't, and the correct answer is nature and nurture because shared genes plus different outcomes points to environmental influence. Watch for distractor scenarios about traits persisting over time (that's stability and change, not nature and nurture).

You should also be ready for method-based questions, like a study comparing behavioral inhibition in identical twins raised together versus raised apart. There, you need to recognize both the theme being tested and the research design doing the testing. No released FRQ has used the phrase verbatim, but the theme is exactly the kind of framework the Article Analysis Question rewards, since many studies in developmental psychology are designed to separate genetic from environmental influences.

## nature and nurture vs Stability and change

Both are thematic issues from Topic 3.1, and exam questions love to swap them as distractors. Nature and nurture asks about the SOURCE of a trait (genes or environment?). Stability and change asks about the TIMELINE of a trait (does it stay the same or shift across the lifespan?). A study of whether shy children stay shy as adults is stability and change. A study of why one identical twin is shy and the other isn't is nature and nurture.

## Key Takeaways

- Nature and nurture is one of three thematic issues in developmental psychology named in the CED for Topic 3.1, along with stability and change, and continuous versus discontinuous development.
- Nature refers to biological and genetic influences, while nurture refers to environmental and experiential influences on development.
- Modern psychology treats nature and nurture as interacting, not competing, so the AP answer is almost never 'it's purely one or the other.'
- Identical twin studies are the signature research design for this theme, because identical twins share genes, so any differences between them point to environmental influence.
- On the exam, separate this from stability and change by asking what the question is really about, the origin of a trait (nature and nurture) or its persistence over time (stability and change).

## FAQs

### What is nature and nurture in AP Psychology?

It's a thematic issue in developmental psychology (Topic 3.1) examining how biological and genetic factors (nature) and environmental and experiential factors (nurture) each contribute to development across the lifespan. It supports learning objective 3.1.A in Unit 3.

### Is nature vs nurture an either/or debate?

No. Psychologists today agree both interact to shape development. If an AP answer choice claims a trait is 100% genetic or 100% environmental, it's almost certainly wrong. The exam rewards interaction-based reasoning.

### How is nature and nurture different from stability and change?

Nature and nurture asks where a trait comes from (genes versus environment). Stability and change asks whether a trait lasts over time. A study of why one identical twin develops anxiety and the other doesn't is nature and nurture; a study of whether shy kids stay shy as adults is stability and change.

### Why do psychologists use twin studies for nature and nurture questions?

Identical twins share the same genetic makeup, so comparing twins raised together with twins raised apart lets researchers estimate how much of a trait, like behavioral inhibition (shyness), comes from genes versus environment. AP practice questions use this exact setup.

### Is nature and nurture on the AP Psychology exam?

Yes. It's named directly in the essential knowledge for learning objective 3.1.A in Unit 3, and it appears in multiple-choice questions asking you to identify which thematic issue a research scenario represents.

## Related Study Guides

- [3.1 Themes and Methods in Developmental Psychology](/ap-psych-revised/unit-3/1-themes-and-methods-in-developmental-psychology/study-guide/YPLElYYfgpd4SBpP)

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