Naure versus nurture: Child Psychology?

[Souji]

The argument of nature versus nurture is one that has been debated by Philosophers and Scientists for hundreds of years, yet there is no definitive answer. My research has given me a lot of evidence to support both sides of the argument, so, I'm deciding to pose a question to Yahoo Answers in hope of getting some human opinions.

How strongly do nature and nurture each individually affect the behavior, personality, and intellectual ability of a child?

To make myself explicit, I define:

Nature = Genetic phenotypes transferred from the parents to the child

Nurture = The environment around the chid. In this I include not only the input from family and peers; I include everything that the child will be experienced to, such as television, diet, etc.

Behaviour = The way a child will respond and interact socially, such as reactions to requests like to take a bath. I do not include the natural or instinctual responses, such as the commonly popularised “Fight or flight” response.
Personality = Tied in with behaviour. What the child finds interest in, their likes and dislikes, and their willingness to be social (Introvert/Extrovert), etc.

Intellectual ability = Ability to understand and apply given facts and scenarios.


The reason I’m asking this question specifically about children is because I believe that the psychology of children differs immensely from that of an adult, due to psychological and biological developments. If I were to be imprecise, I fear that any responses I receive will be likewise.

I won’t currently state what side of the nature versus nurture argument I stand, for fear of invoking what people may think I would see as “favourable responses”, in order to get the best answer. I reserve the best answer to the one who can give an argument and back it up with documented facts, or in the very least a very strong hypothesis.