Final answer:
The ability to react to a stimulus is inherited, but skill development can improve reaction times. Research supports that environmental factors and learning influence reaction abilities. Thus, both genetic and learned factors contribute to the improvement of reaction times.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of whether a person's ability to react to a stimulus is entirely inherited or can be improved through skill development is rooted in biological principles. While reaction times may have a genetic component, research in the field of epigenetics and behavioral science indicates that environmental factors and learning can indeed influence and improve our reaction times through practice and experience. This is in line with the Range of Reaction theory, which posits that environmental stimulation plays a critical role in reaching one's genetic potential, particularly noted in the development of motor skills and adaptation such as the fight or flight behavior.
Innate or newborn reflexes are automatic and do not require learning; however, skills and reactions can be improved or modified through learning and practice. For example, consistent training can enhance an athlete's reflexes and reaction time in response to specific stimuli during their sport. Therefore, while some components of reaction are innate, skill development plays a significant role in refining and improving those reaction times over time.
It is true that skill development can help to improve a person's reaction time, even though the basic ability to react is an inherited trait. This suggests that both nature (genes) and nurture (environment and experience) contribute to our abilities and behaviors, highlighting the complex interplay between genetics and learning in human development.