Sociologists and psychologists have argued for centuries about how a person’s character is
formed. The argument has long been known as “nature versus nurture,” describing the two
main opposing theories. The first theory says that character is formed genetically before
birth. According to this theory, nature – through genetics – determines what a person will be
like. The other theory says, on the contrary, that a newborn baby has no definite character.
The child’s character develops as he or she grows up, and the development of that
character is influenced by the child’s family and social environment. Thus, according to the
second theory, the most important factors are ___________________.