For your assignment this week, you will detail key aspects of development and discuss the role of nature and nurture in development.  Complete the weekly reading, review Chapter 7 from Week One of the course, and view the video Breaking the Wall of Nature and Nurture: How Genes and Environment Combine to Affect Our Life Course.  Then, address the following:

1. Summarize the childhood and family life of an individual of your choice: yourself, a friend, a fictional character (e.g., from a book, movie or television program). Your grade is not contingent on your self-disclosure of personal information. If you choose to write about someone you know, you should obtain their permission first and change all personally identifying information. If you choose to write about your own childhood, only include what you feel comfortable sharing and do not include any sensitive information about others without obtaining their permission. Some of the information you could include are the following:
   • Place of birth (e.g., state, country, or geographical region)?
   • Siblings
   • Birth order
   • Where did the child grow up?
   • What was childhood like?
     • How did an understanding of self and gender begin to develop?
     • What role did gender stereotypes play?  
     • What types of toys were encouraged?
     • What activities were encouraged?
   • What was adolescence like? Which aspects of the transition were challenging and which aspects represented a smooth transition?

   *You are not required to disclose personal information in this course regarding sexual history, history of abuse and neglect, psychological treatment, and relationships with parents, peers, and spouses or significant others.

2. Detail the nature versus nurture controversy from the scientific evidence.  Address the following:

• Define nature and nurture.
• Describe which (either nature or nurture) you feel had a greater impact on your development.  
• How did nature and nurture work together to influence who you are today in terms of personality, sexuality, and gender?

Your paper must be two to three pages in length (excluding title and reference pages).  Support your thoughts using a minimum of three references from scholarly sources.  Examples of scholarly sources include: peer reviewed journal articles, research studies, professional websites with authored material, and government websites.  Popular internet sites (Wikipedia, Newsweek, New York Times, etc.) are not considered scholarly sources.  Your paper and sources must be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.