语源

先天与后天这一表述最早由弗朗西斯·加尔顿在提到莎士比亚笔下的凯列班时使用。 “一个魔鬼，天生的魔鬼，教养也改不过他的天性来”（自《暴风雨》）。

先天与后天的定义

虽然“后天”在传统意义上被定义为家长对和孩子的照顾，但是任何环境的（非遗传）因素也应被算入其中，包括：儿时的玩伴、电视节目、与在母亲肚子中经历。事实上，切实存在的环境因素对人类的影响可以从出生前就开始。另外，孩童时期，尤其是早期，会影响整个孩童以后的发展，更泛一些，所有的生活经历都是后天。

参看

茱蒂·哈里斯，以《教养的迷思》一书论证后天发展不一定仅仰赖早期亲子教养的美国心理学研究者。

参考文献

Alarcon, M., Plomin, R., Fulker, D.W., Corley, R. & DeFries, J.C. (1998). Multivariate path analysis of specific cognitive abilities: data at 12 years of age in the Colorado Adoption Project. Behavior Genetics28:255-264.

Jang, K.L., McCrae, R.R., Angleitner, A. Riemann, R. & Livesley, W.J. (1998). Heritability of facet-level traits in a cross-cultural twin sample: support for a hierarchical model of personality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology74:1556-1565.

Joseph, J. (2004)The Gene Illusion: Genetic Research in Psychiatry and Psychology Under the Microscope.New York: Algora. (2003 United Kingdom Edition by PCCS Books)

Joseph, J. (2006).The Missing Gene: Psychiatry, Heredity, and the Fruitless Search for Genes.New York: Algora.

Harrison PJ, Owen MJ. (2003)Genes for schizophrenia? Recent findings and their pathophysiological implications. Lancet, 361(9355), 417–9.

Neill, J. T. (2004).Nature vs nurture in intelligence. Wilderdom.

Pinker, S. (2004)Why nature & nurture won"t go away.Dædalus.

Plomin, R., Fulker, D. W., Corley, R. & DeFries, J. C. (1997). Nature, nurture and cognitive development from 1 to 16 years: a parent-offspring adoption study. Psychological Science8:442-447.

Plomin, R., DeFries, J. C., McClearn, G. E. and McGuffin, P. Behavioral Genetics (4th Ed.). New York: Freeman. 2001. ISBN 978-0-7167-5159-5. 

Ridley, M. Nature Via Nurture : Genes, Experience, and What Makes Us Human. HarperCollins. 2003. ISBN 978-0-06-000678-5.  (republished under the title The Agile Gene : How Nature Turns on Nurture)

Wahlsten, D. (1997). Leilani Muir versus the Philosopher King: eugenics on trial in Alberta. Genetica99: 185-198.

At least two Science Fiction novels have plots which bear on this debate (in very different ways from each other): Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh (1988) and The Coming of the Quantum Cats by Frederik Pohl (1986).

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