Interactionism (nature versus nurture)

Interactionism is a fancy word that means how two things work together. In this case, it's how nature and nurture work together to shape who we are.

Nature means the genes or DNA that we get from our parents. It's the stuff that's automatically inside of us when we're born. So, for example, if you have curly hair, that's because of your genes.

Nurture means everything else that happens to us. It's how we're raised, the experiences we have, the things we learn from our surroundings, and who we spend time with. So, for example, if you learn to speak Spanish because your parents speak it at home, that's because of your environment or nurture.

Now, some people believe that nature is more important and that our genes control everything about us. Others believe that nurture is more important and that the way we're raised and the experiences we have are what really shape who we are.

Interactionism says that it's not just one or the other, but that nature and nurture work together. For example, your genes might make you more likely to be tall, but if you don't get enough to eat, you might not grow as tall as you could. Or you might be born with a talent for music, but if you never learn to play an instrument, you might not become a great musician.

So, it's like a recipe where you need both ingredients to make something delicious. All the things that make us who we are – our personality, our temperament, our skills – come from a mix of our genes and our environment.