In the following question, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Select the c

Question

Q. In the following question, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Select the correct choice from (a), (b), (c), (d). Assertion (A): Children from disadvantaged homes, when adopted into families with higher socio-economic status, exhibit a large increase in their intelligence scores. Reason (R): Environmental deprivation lowers intelligence while rich nutrition, good family background and quality of schooling increases intelligence.

CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2023MCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★

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Concept understanding — Nature Versus Nurture

Nature Versus Nurture: The Great Blueprint vs. The Blank Slate

Imagine a seed. Inside that seed is the genetic code for an oak tree — the shape of its leaves, the height it can reach, the colour of its bark. That is nature. Now imagine that same seed planted in poor soil, starved of sunlight, or pruned harshly. It will never become the towering oak it could have been. That is nurture.

The nature versus nurture debate asks a single, powerful question: What makes you who you are — your genes or your environment?

The Intuition: Two Extremes

Think about a child who grows up to be a brilliant pianist. One explanation is that she was born with a natural gift — perfect pitch, nimble fingers, a brain wired for music. That is the nature side: your destiny is written in your DNA.

Another explanation is that she was pushed to practise for hours every day by her parents, had access to a good piano, and grew up in a home where music was valued. That is the nurture side: your environment and experiences shape everything.

The debate is not about which one matters — both clearly do. The real question is: how much of what we are is due to each?

The Precise Statement

In psychology and biology, nature refers to all the hereditary factors that influence who we are — from physical appearance to personality traits, intelligence, and even mental health predispositions. These are passed down through genes from biological parents.

Nurture refers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are — upbringing, culture, education, relationships, nutrition, trauma, and even random life experiences.

Important

The modern scientific consensus is that neither nature nor nurture acts alone. Almost every human trait — from height to intelligence to temperament — is the result of a complex interaction between genes and environment. This is called gene-environment interaction.

Why This Matters for Exams …

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Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) correctly explains Assertion (A).

Intelligence develops through the joint influence of heredity and environment, which interact with each other rather than acting independently. Heredity sets a range of potential for cognitive development, but where a person's measured intelligence actually falls within that range depends heavily on environmental conditions — nutrition, physical health, emotional and intellectual stimulation at home, the quality of schooling, and the family's general socio-economic circumstances. Children raised in disadvantaged, deprived environments — with poor nutrition, limited cognitive stimulation, and restricted access to books and quality schooling — tend to show lower scores on intelligence tests than their inherited potential would otherwise allow, because the environment fails to adequately nurture cognitive growth. …

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Same / Similar Concept — real previous-year questions on the same or a closely similar concept, not this exact question.

CBSE 2025Set 63/W4YXZ/41 markMCQ
$Q. Match the following: Rearing Practices —$
(1) Identical twins reared in different environment;
(2) Fraternal twins reared together;
(3) Brothers and sisters reared together;
(4) Siblings reared apart. Correlation — I. 0.50; II. 0.60; III. 0.72; IV. 0.25.
›Reveal solutionSolution

The correct option is (B) 1-III, 2-II, 3-I, 4-IV. …

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CBSE 2023Set 63/FGHE/41 markMCQ
$Q. In the following question, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Select the correct choice from (a), (b), (c), (d). Assertion (A): Children from disadvantaged homes, when adopted into families with higher socio-economic status, exhibit a large increase in their intelligence scores. Reason (R): Environmental deprivation lowers intelligence while rich nutrition, good family background and quality of schooling increases intelligence.$
›Reveal solutionSolution

Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) correctly explains Assertion (A).

Intelligence develops through the joint influence of heredity and environment, which interact with each other rather than acting independently. Heredity sets a range of potential for cognitive development, but where a person's measured intelligence actually falls within that range depends heavily on environmental conditions — nutrition, physical health, emotional and intellectual stimulation at home, the quality of schooling, and the family's general socio-economic circumstances. Children raised in disadvantaged, deprived environments — with poor nutrition, limited cognitive stimulation, and restricted access to books and quality schooling — tend to show lower scores on intelligence tests than their inherited potential would otherwise allow, because the environment fails to adequately nurture cognitive growth. …
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