Before discussion Tuesday, we had to read about the Bogle family and how everyone throughout the several generations landed themselves in jail due to several laws being broken. In the article the author noted how the dad teaches his children to steal for him and also to fight. The question that was brought up in this article was is this aggression and habit of breaking the law the cause of a bad gene that is passed from generation to generation or is it taught over the years as one is raised. In discussion we came to conclusions that and correlated that aggression has more to do with genes but I would like to look back on this case and discuss more whether it actually had more to do with genetics. Many studies are done that show if the parents are more aggressive then the kids naturally be more aggressive due to genes but it does not mean that the kids will be committing crimes and fighting just naturally. There is more to this case than just genetics. It states that the kids always want to impress their parents. In this case the parents taught the kids not only by example but literally taught the kids and awarded them for stealing liquor for them and fighting instead of being a coward. This case proves that these actions are not just natural causes but are taught to kids over the years by example.
Careful about the use of the word "prove". Especially in cases such as psychology where there are a million different variables to be considered. Some people may have a genetic predisposition to violence and anger so they get angrier more quickly and so it doesn't take as harsh of an environment to influence them in such a way, whereas somebody who has a more passive genetic make-up may require some very traumatic and very drilled reinforcement to cause violent behavior. I believe it's hard to determine based upon purely genetics. I know that from my own personal account. My family has a history of drug/alcohol abuse and depression and I grew up in an environment that most people would resort to drugs and alcohol and yet I'm completely clean. So I had both nature and nurture against me, but something must have happened along the way to convince me to go the clean route and that's what gives me the believe that we must try to consider every variable possible, especially when it comes to psychology where there is no 1 variable that is changed.