Kindness in kids and the nature-nurture debate

It’s a typical scene in a preschool classroom: Charlie and Lucy are each happily playing with their own toys when Lucy suddenly eyes Charlie’s toy and wants it, and she wants it NOW. Charlie, sees Lucy’s desire for his toy, doesn't get possessive but kindly extends it to her. Lucy snatches the toy, declaring “Mine!”, and runs off across the classroom to show her new toy off to her other friends. Charlie doesn't mind.

In this scene, Charlie displayed what psychologists call prosocial behavior. That is, behavior characterized by concern for, and intention to help, others. Lucy, on the other hand, demonstrated selfish behavior. Why is it that Charlie was able to consider what Lucy wanted and shared, but Lucy thought only of herself? Was it because of the way the two were raised? Alternatively, was there some kind of genetic factor that made Charlie inherently generous and Lucy naturally greedy? As it turns out, the development of prosocial behavior is a matter of both nature and nurture; genes and parenting (Saturn 2014).

Nature and nurture are not in opposition. To the contrary, they work together--constantly. One of the ways nature and nurture are linked is through a hormone called oxytocin.