Final answer:
An individual's traits are influenced by both genetics and environmental factors such as culture. Culture plays a major role in personality development, and intelligence is shaped by a mixture of genetic and environmental inputs demonstrating the interaction between nature and nurture.
Step-by-step explanation:
An individual's traits are indeed influenced by environmental factors, and among the most significant of these factors is culture. Culture encompasses the beliefs, customs, art, and traditions of a particular society and plays a critical role in forming an individual's personality by transmitting norms through language and behavior. Personality traits do have a genetic basis, but they are also shaped significantly by environmental and cultural factors. The environment and our culture impact the expression of and interaction with our genetic makeup, illustrating the dynamic between nature and nurture.
There are three main approaches to study personality in the context of culture: the cultural-comparative approach, the indigenous approach, and a combined approach. Furthermore, the development of intelligence has both a genetic component and is influenced by environmental factors. Studies have shown that while genetics lay the foundation for intelligence levels, the environmental influences provide stability and opportunities for cognitive abilities to manifest. This illustrates the complex interplay between nature and nurture in shaping traits like intelligence and personality.