Final answer:
Any non-genetic influence is defined as nurture. It involves environmental and cultural experiences that impact development, as opposed to nature, which entails genetic and biological inheritance. The psychology field studies the complex interplay between genetics (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) in shaping an individual.
Step-by-step explanation:
The definition of any non-genetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us, refers to nurture. In the context of the nature vs. nurture debate, nature relates to the genetic and biological factors we inherit from our parents, while nurture involves the environmental and cultural experiences that shape our development. The concept of heredity deals with the transmission of genetic characteristics from parents to offspring, and genetics is the study of genes and heredity. Hence, any influences that are not genetic (like parental care, education, and culture) fall under the realm of nurture.
Understanding the influence of nature and nurture on development is a central question in psychology. This debate explores how genetics and environmental factors shape an individual's personality, behavior, and abilities. Both nature and nurture shape who we become, with modern psychological theories often acknowledging that the interplay between genetics and environment is complex and bidirectional. The theory of epigenetics introduces the concept that environmental experiences can lead to changes in gene expression without altering the genetic code, affecting both the individual and potentially future generations.