Is non-verbal behaviour innate or learned?
Explanations of non-verbal behaviour: the nature view that it is innate and the nurture view that it is learned, with evidence such as facial expressions in babies and cross-cultural studies.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.6, covering explanations of non-verbal behaviour, the nature view that it is innate and the nurture view that it is learned, with supporting evidence such as facial expressions in babies and cross-cultural studies.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to explain whether non-verbal behaviour is innate (nature) or learned (nurture), and to use evidence such as facial expressions in babies and cross-cultural studies to support each view. In Paper 2 this is often a Discuss question, so you need evidence on both sides and a reasoned conclusion.
The nature (innate) view
Support comes from two main sources. First, studies show that babies, including those born blind, produce facial expressions such as smiling and frowning without being able to copy others, suggesting these expressions are inborn rather than imitated. Second, cross-cultural studies (associated with Ekman) find that basic facial expressions for emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise and disgust are recognised in very different cultures, including isolated groups. If expressions were learned, they would be expected to vary far more between cultures.
The nurture (learned) view
Combining the views
The likely answer is that both matter: some non-verbal behaviour (such as basic facial expressions of emotion) appears innate, while other aspects (such as specific gestures, the rules for eye contact and personal space) are learned and shaped by culture. This mirrors the wider nature-nurture debate and is the kind of balanced conclusion that scores well in a Discuss question.
Try this
Q1. Give one piece of evidence that non-verbal behaviour is innate. [2 marks]
- Cue. Babies, including blind babies, show facial expressions without learning them.
Q2. Explain how cultural differences support the nurture view. [2 marks]
- Cue. Gestures and personal space vary between cultures, suggesting they are learned rather than inborn.
Q3. Identify the researcher associated with cross-cultural studies of facial expressions. [1 mark]
- Cue. Ekman.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20194 marksDiscuss whether non-verbal behaviour is innate or learned. (Paper 2, Section B)Show worked answer →
A 4-mark Discuss item rewards evidence for each view plus a balanced judgement.
Nature (innate): babies, including those born blind who could not have copied others, produce facial expressions such as smiling, and Ekman's cross-cultural work found basic emotional expressions are recognised in very different cultures, suggesting they are universal and inborn. Nurture (learned): gestures, eye contact rules and personal space differ between cultures, so a gesture that is polite in one country is rude in another, which suggests these are learned through experience.
Markers reward evidence on both sides and a judgement, usually that some non-verbal behaviour (basic facial expressions) is innate while other aspects (gestures, personal space) are learned.
AQA 20213 marksExplain how research with babies supports the view that non-verbal behaviour is innate. (Paper 2, Section B)Show worked answer →
A 3-mark Explain item rewards the evidence plus the reasoning that links it to the innate view.
Very young babies show facial expressions such as smiling and disgust before they have had time to learn them by imitation, and crucially babies born blind, who cannot have copied others' faces, still produce the same expressions. Because these expressions appear without the chance to learn them, they are most likely inborn (innate), which supports the nature explanation.
Markers reward the finding (babies, especially blind babies, show expressions without learning) and the explicit link (no opportunity to learn, so it must be innate).
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Psychology (8182) specification — AQA (2017)