Nurture Assumption (Judith Harris)

The Nurture Assumption, proposed by Judith Harris, suggests that peers—children’s friends and social groups—play a more significant role than parents in shaping personality and behavior. While parents provide initial guidance, Harris argues that most social development occurs through interactions with peers during childhood and adolescence. This idea challenges the belief that parenting alone determines a child's personality, emphasizing the influence of peer environments in forming social skills, attitudes, and identity, which continuously evolve throughout a person’s development.