Current Perception of Nature vs.Nurture Debate among Students at the University of Medicine of Tirana

Abstract

Introduction: One topic still debated in the scientific community and beyond is the influence of genetic or environmental factors on an individual's behavior. The essence of this debate lies in discussing the role and impact of genetic and environmental factors on an individual's behavior, known otherwise as the nature-nurture debate.
 In a survey-type study, we sought to assess perceptions of the nature-nurture argument among first-year technical medical sciences students at the University of Tirana, Albania.
 Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a survey-type questionnaire on a sample of 100 first-year medical university students at the Faculty of Medical Technical Sciences, University of Medicine in Tirana, in April 2023. The questionnaire was based on six specific questions underlying the potential impact of genetic (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) influencing certain types of behavior, such as personality, sexual orientation, and intelligence—or psycho-emotional stress.
 Results: According to the analysis of the data collected on our sample of students, 84.9% of them perceive that acquired factors (nurture) influence more than innate factors (nature) in forming personality traits, whereas 15.1% perceive the opposite. After adjusting for potential confounders, environmental factors remained statistically significant compared with genetic factors (odds ratio 1.42, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.97). 
 Conclusion: Genetic and sociological research has shown that genetics, life experiences, and environmental factors influence the expression of key traits in shaping behavior. In this study, we confirm the perception of this interaction among medical students. For some aspects of behavior, students are less likely to believe in genetic explanations and more likely to believe in environmental causes.