This reflective assignment is a learning component for the course Human Development: Current Topics (PSYC 34579). The overall purpose of this assignment to is evaluate the chapter (Is Temperament Destiny) from Susan Cain’s book, In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.
Is Temperament Destiny is an extraordinary chapter taken from Cain’s book called In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. It outlines the powerful question that many people including developmental scientists probe at constantly. The questions remains as what makes us the way we are? Is the factors contribute from our genetics or inborn traits better known as the nature environment or due to our enriched nurturing environment which provides us with opportunities to experience our way learning abilities? Could our genetic makeup influence how our personality which defines who we are? Or does our childhood upbringing make us who we are? In this article, it goes in depth about Kagan’s longitudinal study on children between infancy and adolescence hood, his supporting rationales for his predictions, detailed description on how he carried out his experiment, as well as his conclusion. It also focuses on the idea of the controversial topic of nature verse nurture and examines the wide spectrum of introverted (high reactive) or extroverted (low reactive) individuals. But how does being an introvert or extrovert correlate with the topic of nature verse nurture?
Kagan’s emotional and cognitive development study was based on several factors. For instance, he “measured their heart rates, blood pressure, finger temperature, and other properties of the nervous system” which is “believed to be controlled by a potent organ inside the brain called the amygdala”. (Cain, 2012, p. 101). Throughout the children’s lives, Kagan used different methods to come across his theory. At four months, the babies “heard the taped recorded voices, balloons popping, saw colourful mobiles, and inhaled the scent of the alcohol on cotton swabs”. (Cain, 2012, p.99). It was observed that 20% of the babies reacted to these methods by crying and constantly moving their limbs; these babies were known as the “high reactive”. There were 40% of the babies who stayed quiet and move their limbs every so often; these babies were known as the “low reactive”. The remaining 40% of the babies fell anywhere in between the spectrum.
From there, Kagan anticipated that the 20% of babies who were considered the high reactive group would be shy, quiet, introverted teenagers. As the children returned to Kagan’s laboratory at the ages of two, four, seven, and eleven; Kagan’s prediction turned out to be right. He used different techniques each time he observed the children to match their appropriate ages. Overtime, he noticed that the high reactive (introverted) children “were most likely to have developed serious, careful personalities” whereas the low reactive (extroverted) children “were more likely to have become relaxed and confident types”. (Cain, 2012, p.100).
But how does all this relate to nature verse nurture? Well, Kagan first thought that nurture was the correct answer to this controversial debate. Nevertheless, he “had been dragged, kicking and screaming, by [his] data […] to acknowledge that temperament is more powerful than [what he] thought and wish to believe”. (Cain, 2012, p.106). Kagan insisted that the development of a child’s life is very essential in their first three and a half years. For example, a child who is introverted could have plenty of ideas of the world in their head or perhaps they may suffer health problems which direct the child to think about what’s happening to their own body. (Cain, 2012, p.102). Whether the child had the opportunity to explore the ideas which popped in their heads (or did not have the chance to do so) relates to the child’s environmental factors such as growing up in a safe neighbourhood (or not), having loving parents with a secure home and financially stable (or not). All these detail nature and nurturing factors which stem from different aspects of a child’s life influences who they are. “To ask whether it’s nature or nurture […] is like asking whether a blizzard is caused by temperature or humidity. It’s the intricate interaction between the two that makes us who we are.” – Professor Jerome Kagan (Cain, 2012, p.109).
So we now know that both nature and nurture play a key role in our lives. Our personal experiences in our lives shapes us to who we are. As we develop from the stages of life, our personality can be altering due to our surrounding environment and those who impact us. Now the question: to what extent does our “inborn temperament interacts with the environment and with [our] own free will”? (Cain, 2012, p.109).
The importance of this article remains relevant to our constant questioning on whether nature or nurture plays a key role in how we do become the way we are. Long ago, we use to think that it had to be one or the other, for instance that our surrounding environment impacted who are we today by providing us the opportunities which shape us to who we are. Actually to make a trip down memory lane, in the 1950’s everything was based off scientific facts. Although there were some who believed that we possess the genetic characteristics which influence who we are. In spite of all that, many have twisted and turned just like Kagan did when his data began to show inborn temperament (nature) was a critical element in a child’s life considering the past and current condition in which the child was raised in or lives in.
The article primarily focuses on the topic of introverted individuals. It emphasizes the misconception that introverts are undervalued compared to their extroverts’ counterparts. Nevertheless, introverts happen to have detailed visions of the world and it may seem as though they will have trouble implementing their ideas. Extroverts on the other hand are given the opportunity to share their energetic personality to the world because it’s appreciated in mainly Western cultures. (Note: Western culture is an example of nurture because it is relates to the conformity society’s way of life in an environmental aspect). Cain’s underlying statement reveals that introverts do not need to be pulled out of their shells just because they’re known as the shy and reserved. It just so happens that introverted individuals are more likely to be artists, writers, scientists and thinkers. They are fascinated with the world around them and come up with questions and ideas to explore all what they imagine in their heads.
The one key point which really stood out to me in the article was the Orchid Hypothesis that Cain mentioned, by David Dobbs. The theory used an analogy, stating that “children are like dandelions […which is] able to thrive in just about any environment. But [there are some children who] are like orchids: they wilt easily but under the right conditions can grow strong and magnificent”. (Cain, 2012, p.111).
This theory relates to the human development and answers the question of how do we become who we are. As mentioned in the article, it looked upon introverts and extroverts in stable and non-stable environments. For example, if an extrovert child grows up in a safe environment with nurturing parents, then this child can become big achievers in life. However if an extrovert child grows up in a rough neighbourhood with uncaring parents, then this child can become a bully. The same conditions could be applied to an introverted child. If this child grows up in a secure environment with loving parents, then they can become successful achievers with “fewer emotional problems and more social skills”. (Cain, 2012, p.111). However if the introverted child grows up in a non-healthy neighbourhood, then they can become “vulnerable to challenges [and] react to these [challenges] with “social anxiety disorder”. (Cain, 2012, p.111). The Orchid Hypothesis explains the concept that every child is different and under negative or positive conditions it can affect the experiences the child has and impact the child’s later development into adulthood.
After reading this article, it really made me reflect and look towards myself and my own upbringing as well as my siblings and how we are contrasted so differently although we live in the same household. I classified myself as a high reactive introvert whereas my siblings appear to be low reactive extroverts. I happen to think that it’s all because I spent the first six years of my life without a sibling and I had everything to myself. Then when my siblings were born and their early childhood experiences were influenced by their close age and the experiences they had with one another.
Reference
Cain, S. (2012). Is Temperament Destiny? In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Crown Publishers.
Anjanie Chooraman 