Nurturance: A Critical Analysis

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Nurturance is the social behavior of providing physical and emotional sustenance in order to adhere to the essential needs of individuals that are perceived to be young, helpless or feeble. The predisposition to nurture can be viewed as a personality trait or temperament. Scholars have often examined the need to nurture and be nurtured. According to scholars nurturance is considered both a biological, psychosocial need. This is visible in mother-child relationships. As an infant, an individual bonds to another individual (usually a mother) who provides a secure base, which provides a sense of emotional stability for the infant. Eventually once the mother-child base is formed the child has the ability to explore new objects and places without feeling afraid or anxious when forming new attachments. From this relationship the mother’s need to protect, and provide for another is satisfied. This is a trait that is usually associated with women and maternal instinct. As a woman one must possess genetic characteristics that better prepare them for motherhood, and as far as social expectations a mother one is expected to nurture and care for their young (Modell, 1989).
The biological approach to psychology is a method that looks at our genetics to build a reason as to why we act the way we do and why we develop abnormal behaviors. The biological theorists who study behavioral genetics study in what manner genetic material affect behavior. One day scientists will comprehend how behavior is affected by the inheritance of DNA. Biological factors such as chromosomes have a substantial effect on humans and their behaviors.
Most of what psychologists know about biological influences on personality comes from twin studies. Twin studies examine...

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...e Purported Biological Basis of Parenthood. American Ethnologist. Vol. 13, No. 4 pp. 646-661. Published by: Wiley on behalf of the American Anthropological Association.
• Rothbart, M. K., Ahadi, S. A., & Evans, D. E. (2000). Temperament and personality: Origins and outcomes. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 78(1), 122-135. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.78.1.122
• Costa, P. r., & McCrae, R. R. (1988). From catalog to classification: Murray's needs and the five-factor model. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 55(2), 258-265. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.55.2.258
• Hartup, W. W., & Keller, E. (1960). NURTURANCE IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND ITS RELATION TO DEPENDENCY. Child Development, 31(4), 681-689.
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