C4. P1-2 Flashcards
What does genetics refer to?
Genetics refers to the study of heredity and variation in how characteristics are inherited and passed down from generation to generation in living organisms
What does behavioral genetics focus on?
How genes contribute to differences among people
What is evolution psychology?
Subfield of psychology that seeks to apply theoretical principles from evolution theory to understand and explain how mental and psychological characteristics, capacity, traits, and propensities for behaviors and conditions are the result of adaptation
Define natural selection.
Evolutionary principle that traits which help organisms survive, mate, or both, within a particular environment are, over time, more likely to be passed down to successive generations
Who is David Buss?
A man who is instrumental in fostering collaboration between biological psychology, evolutionary theory, and psychology at large
What is the first criticism of evolutionary psychology?
We are unable to know for sure what those prior environments were truly like
What is the second criticism of evolutionary psychology?
Observations made in evolutionary psychology studies can be explained in several different ways
What is the third criticism of evolutionary psychology?
Evolutionary psychology simply puts a “story” to data without providing a way to test if the story fits the actual data
What is the weakest criticism of evolutionary psychology?
Evolutionary psychology inherently implies genetic determinism
Who are evolutionary psychologists?
Psychological scientists that do research in evolutionary psychology and often teach
Who are behavioral geneticists?
Psychological scientists that study this field and typically work in academic, hospital, or pharmaceutical settings
How many genes do humans have?
21,000-25,000
Is Huntington’s disease dominant or recessive?
Dominant
Is Tay-Sachs disease dominant or recessive?
Recessive
Which blood types are dominant an recessive?
A and B are dominant, O is recessive
What is a discrete trait?
Expression resulting in one pair of genes
How much DNA does first-degree siblings and dizygotic twins share on average?
50%
How much DNA do half-siblings share on average?
25%
What is a basic twin study?
The degree of similarity for a trait or characteristic is examined using pairs of monozygotic twins and pairs of dizygotic twins or siblings
What is the twin personality study?
Comparing genes and environment with monozygotic and dizygotic twins
What are separated twin studies?
Identifying pairs of monozygotic and dizygotic twins who were separated early in life
What is the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart (MISTRA)?
Researchers identified 137 pairs of twins who had been reared apart. Of these pairs, 81 were monozygotic and 56 were dizygotic, compared genetics of twins who were separated and lived together
