Moral values Born or taught?

This question goes back to a topic that I kind of focused about in my blogs Nature versus Nurture? So the question this time is are we born with moral values or are they taught to us?

For a while people thought that babies have no idea what’s good and what’s bad, and only society influences how this baby grows up. However, people are starting to think that there is a genetic link to our moral values.

At Yale University researchers are trying to prove that babies are born with having the main concept of what’s right and what’s wrong. Dr. Karen Wynn is the researcher who’s running the Yale’s team and are focusing on the puppets test.The puppets test shows that most babies tend to pick the good character rather than the bad one most of the time

That’s why psychopathy is related to genes somehow. While genes play a big role in the development of psychopathy the environment factor plays as big of role as genes.

That’s why it’s very important for kids to grow up in a normal society that helps them further there understanding of the moral clause.

Some kids grow up in a society that didn’t teach them the moral values that they should have developed at there age, but they’re very moral. On the other hand, some kids grow in a family that teaches them moral values, yet they turn out to be psychopaths. This suggests a genetic link.

This reminds me of the smoking causing lung cancer theory. Some people smoke everyday of there lives, yet don’t have lung cancer. While others never smoked a day of their life, but have lung cancer.

After a lot of research, I cam to the conclusion that a combination of genetics and environmental factors teaches kids moral values.

Works Cited

Smith, Emily Esfahani. “As Babies, We Knew Morality.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

Chu, Susan. “Are We Born with a Moral Core? The Baby Lab Says ‘yes'” CNN. Cable News Network, 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

In the last two blogs I did, I focused on the idea of Nature versus Nurture. But I picked topics that focused more on genetics rather than the human’s behavior. This time I wanted to pick a topic that is more of a human behavior rather than genetic illness, Alcoholism.

Research show that people with alcoholic parents who lived in the same house hold with there parents are more likely to be alcoholic than kids with alcoholic biological parents who lived in stable houses.

We all know that alcoholism can often be in families and can also be randomized. But, there is no strong genetic link between alcoholism and genes.

The NIAAA researchers determined that genes can be a factor that causes alcoholism, however it’s not as strong as environmental factors. They believe it’s the combination of both.

Dr. Enoch Gordis explained to us a theory that genetic is a risk, but not destiny. Unlike Schizophrenia, alcoholism has to do with the environmental factors more than it has to do with genes. Yes, genes can higher the risk, but it doesn’t mean that it automatically makes you an alcoholic.

When something is more reliable on environmental factors than genes, it’s mostly a choice. The way that person chooses to live his life facto a lot in whether he’s becoming an alcoholic or not.

So a question that goes through my mind, can addiction be genetic?

Just like smoking, eating chocolate and listening to music, alcoholism is an addiction rather than a disease.

The University of Utah did a research on whether someone could be born an addict or not. “We don’t look for “addiction genes,” what we’re really looking for are biological differences that may make someone more or less vulnerable to addiction. “

After doing a lot of research, I came to the conclusion that no one is born an addict. Some people are more vulnerable to addiction than others, which is inherit through genes. However the main cause of alcoholism relies more on environmental factors rather than genes, as it’s the deal breaker. Again, no one is born an addict.

Works Cited

“Genes and Addiction.” Genes and Addiction. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

“The Interesting Link Between Alcoholism and Genetics.” About. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

“Genetics of Alcohol Use Disorders.” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

“No Biological or Genetic Mechanisms Have Been Identified That Account for Addictive Behavior.” Is Addiction Is Genetically Inherited? Or Is It a Learned Behavior? N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

On my first day at SC 200, my professor said something that really made me wonder. “You’re smarter than your parents, your grandchildren are smarter than their parents who’re smarter than you.”

So is Intelligence inherited or is it developed through our experiences in life? Or maybe it’s a combination of both.

In my Psychology class, we did some research on the connecting between Intelligence and genes.

We decided to test identical twins, fraternal twins and siblings.

Identical twins have 86% chance of getting the same exact IQ.

Fraternal twins have 60% chance of getting the same exact IQ.

Siblings have 46% chance of getting the same exact IQ.

Random people have 0% correlation.

Which suggests a strong genetic link to intelligence.

This study that we did in my Psychology class took us by surprise, 86% of getting the same exact IQ suggests a very very strong genetic link, but what if we tested Identical twins that have been separated at birth? Since it’s hard to find Identical twins who have been separated at birth and are willing to participate in a research, the numbers aren’t that accurate. Research suggest that more than 70% of Identical twins who have been separated at birth have the same exact IQ.

There is a study by Dr Beben Benyamin, from the University of Queensland that 40% of a child’s Intelligence is inherited.

I came to the conclusion that there is a strong genetic link to intelligence, but it’s also developed as well. We can’t deny the genetic link nor the developmental factor in our Intelligence.

The twin study is a very important method to study anything with genetic connections. But, adoption is also a very effective way to look at the difference between genetic inheritance and environmental development. Comparing normal traits of adopted children with their real parents and their adopted parents. Research show that Intelligence, facial resemblance, height, color, etc… is closer to the real parents. However, table manners, social behavior, languages, etc… is closer to the adopted parents. Even though genes play huge part in Intelligence, research definitely show an environmental development connection.

Works Cited

Gayle, Damien. “Thank Your Parents If You’re Smart: Up to 40% of a Child’s Intelligence Is Inherited, Researchers Claim.” Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 15 Mar. 2013. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

“Intelligence and Genetics: Do Some People Inherit an Edge?” Motherboard. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

A question that we all ask ourselves sometimes Nature versus Nurture? I want to focus on Schizophrenia. Is it Inherited? Or is it caused because of the environment we live in?

I find this question similar to a question we discus in class. Does smoking cause lung cancer? Even though it has been proven that smoking causes lung cancer, some people who never smoked in their lives have lung cancer, others have smoked most of their lives and don’t have lung cancer. But that doesn’t mean smoking doesn’t cause lung cancer, it means that smoking increases the chances of getting lung cancer, but doesn’t mean anyone who smokes is going to get lung cancer. Same as Schizophrenia.

In my psychology class, we did some research on Schizophrenia and whether it was genetic or not. We looked at statics of identical twins, fraternal twins and siblings. We also looked at adopted kids living at the same household.

Research concludes that:

Identical twins same household: If one gets it, the other one has 48% chance of also getting it.

Identical twins different household: If one gets it, the other one has 42% chance of also getting it.

Fraternal twins same household: If one gets is, the other one has 10% chance of also getting it

Fraternal twins different household: If one gets is, the other one has 10% chance of also getting it.

Siblings: If one gets is, the other one has 10% chance of also getting it

Adoption: those born to schizophrenia mothers, but not raised by them still have 10% chance of also getting it.

A normal person without genetic link to Schizophrenia have 1% chanced of getting it.

These statistics aren’t accurate at all because a small number of people participate in the experiment.

Finding twins who were separated at birth, at least one have Schizophrenia and are willing to participate in the research is extremely difficult which makes the statistics not accurate.

This suggests a definite genetic link for Schizophrenia. 

I came to the conclusion that Schizophrenia is caused by a combination of genetics and the living factors around us. I find it very similar to lung cancer. Smoking, which is genetics in this case have a huge factor of causing lung cancer (Schizophrenia), but some people have smoked their entire life (have both parents with Schizophrenia), yet they don’t get lung cancer. Others have never smoked a day in their life (have no genetic connection to Schizophrenia) yet they still get lung cancer (Schizophrenia).

I concluded from my own research that a combination of genetics, the environment we live in and the way the person’s mind is structured are the main reasons that cause Schizophrenia.

A Trusted Non-Profit  Resource Organization did their own research and concluded that: “The causes of schizophrenia are not fully known. However, it appears that schizophrenia usually results from a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors.”

“Individuals with a first-degree relative (parent or sibling) who has schizophrenia have a 10 percent chance of developing the disorder, as opposed to the 1 percent chance of the general population.”

While most of my research concluded that there is a definite genetic link for Schizophrenia, we can’t deny the fact that there are more than 50% of people diagnosed with Schizophrenia who have no family members with the same diagnoses. That suggests that genetic itself isn’t a the main factor that causes Schizophrenia by itself.

People with genetic link to Schizophrenia have more chances of getting Schizophrenia than other people. Yet a lot of people have Schizophrenia that have no family history of Schizophrenia.

Mayo-Clinic professionals stated that: “It’s not known what causes Schizophrenia, but researchers believe that a combination of genetics and environment contributes to development of the disorder.” Also, they suggests that Schizophrenia is definitely a brain disease.

The question is which one has more influence Nature versus Nurture? Rather than which one causes it, because research show that it’s a combination.

I definitely think that genetics have more influence than the environment, but the environment has a huge factors that can’t be dismissed.

Works Cited

“Mayo Clinic – Schizophrenia” Mayo Clinic – Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

“Schizophreniaand Psychosis.” All About Schizophrenia and Psychosis. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

“Schizophrenia: Signs, Types & Causes.” Schizophrenia: Signs, Symptoms, Types, Causes, and Effects. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 100) research.

Some people have a great memory, unfortunately I don’t. In fact, I’m glad I don’t, because the only thing I remembered from my second grade experience is how much I wanted to punch my science teacher in the eyes, break her noie, pull her ears and her tongue out and cut her fingers and say here you go with your five senses. “Why so violent Sufian?” you might wonder and I genuinely apologize for using some violent words that might be inappropriate for a class blog, but it’s something that I need to get out of my system one way or another. Better blogging than demonstrating right?

(A side note for future employees as Andrew warned us: This is meant to prove a point and no violence is actually intended. Thank you! And hire me)

“Why are there only five senses?”, I asked my second grade teacher with no sarcasm intended. Why can there be hundreds or thousands or even millions, a seven-year-old boy just wondering “Why are we limited to only five senses? I want thousands or maybe I want millions” a voice in my mind kept going with all different questions about this subject.

“Because it’s a FACT!!” My science teacher replied with a smile on her face. I wish I could tell you that I told her it wasn’t a fact, in fact a lot of scientists and researchers agree with me. But I didn’t I just sat there and started eating glue.

We all learn that we have only five senses, but when we grow up and start to understand the real word and think outside the box, we start questioning our second grade science teachers. I know I did.

How can I prove that there are more than five senses?

Well i decided to do some research and examine how each one of the five senses work.

After doing a lot of research and asking some of my friends majoring in science, we all came to the same conclusion that all senses are connected to the brain. Here’s an article explaining how your senses work.

So hearing, listening, touching, tasting and smelling are senses, but feeling is not? What about nociceptor? 

Nociceptor is a cell in the nerve’s system that sends signal to the brain when it feels pain or danger. It’s that thing that makes you blink when you’re about to get punched in the face. It’s what makes you move your hand directly after you burn your hand. Is nociceptor one of the “five senses”? In fact there are many movies that challenges the idea of the five senses. Including an Arabic movie that takes nociceptor to a whole new level called by translation “The seventh senses“. Also, a famous movie called “The sixth sense” that challenges the idea in a supernatural way, which has no scientific explanations, but I’m showing it as an example to show that there is a flaw in the idea of the five senses and people are questioning it in their own ways. I can’t force you to acknowledge nociceptor as a sense as much as my science teacher can’t force me to accept the so-called “fact” that there are only five sense. In fact here’s an interesting article called Neurobiology of Pain which explains why nociceptor should be considered a sixth sense.

What is a sense to be exact? What is the scientific proof that disregards nociceptor as a sense? (The scientific proof that makes me consider nociceptor as a sense is the way it’s connected to the brain just like the other five senses)

If all senses are connected to the brain and have similar outcomes as they all perceive an external stimulus why isn’t nociceptor a sense?

In fact here’s an interesting article that argues why itching should be considered a sense. Even though I think that itching is or should be considered nociceptor as the body feels the need to itch (a harmful small living object that needs to be itched should be considered nociceptor in my eyes) but I love how the article challenges the original five senses. 

Also, there are a lot of articles that argue that there are specifically 21 senses and maybe more and here’s one of my favorites called Come to Your Senses.

If you notice I didn’t focus on the history of the five senses and famous scientists, scholars or philosophers who were apart of it because I thought it was irrelevant to my point, as I think that the five senses “fact” or shall I say theory should’ve not limited our mind into five senses, but rather help us think outside the box and try to discover other senses that could possibly be out there like nociceptor. Who is a scientists or a scholar to tell me that there are only five senses? Who gives them the authority to limit us to only five? Science? Because science is opening my eyes into many more possible senses that a lot of scientists missed.

After doing a lot of studies, I couldn’t find a correctly proven answer. So my question is to you, do we really have just five senses or is it a misconception. From my own research I conclude that we have more than five senses, but that doesn’t make it correctly proven. So I advise you if you’re interested do your own research and come up with a conclusion and let me know.

Ultimately, I want to take a plane back to Yemen, go to my second grade teacher and tell her how wrong, she was limiting 20 kids minds into a misunderstood “fact”. Or maybe I should just email her the blog post. Here is a video that I decided to make, especially for the blog, since I love making videos. So if you don’t like reading just watch. 

LAME VIDEO SUMMERY

Works Cited:

“Meditation 24-7.” Your 21 Senses. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2014.

“How Many Senses Do You Really Have?” Mercola.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2014.

“Humans Have a Lot More Than Five Senses.” Today I Found Out RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2014.

Hello Everyone,

My names is Sufian Abulohom and I’m originally from Yemen and I’m eighteen-years-old. I grew up in Falls Church, Virginia most of my life. When I graduated high school, I went into a military school in Wayne, Pennsylvania called Valley Forge Military Academy and College. I’m a new transfer student at Penn State and I’m taking this course because Science isn’t my favorite subject. I’ve always tried to avoid taking Science as I felt threatened by it’s hardness. Being a Science major is something incredible, but it doesn’t interest me as much as other things. I want to be an Industrial Organizational Psychologist when I graduate.

I’m looking forward to read your blogs.

P.S, here’s a picture of me when I was in the military academy.