Ch. 2 Flashcards
Genotype
An individual’s unique genetic information
Phenotype
An individual’s directly observable characteristics
Fraternal twins
Dizygotic, two zygotes
Identical twins
monozygotic, one zygote that divides in two
Dominant-Recessive Inheritance
Only the dominant allele affects characteristics but recessive allele can also be passed down and can cause disabilities and diseases.
Incomplete Dominance
Both alleles present in phenotype resulting in a combined trait
Polygenic Inheritance
Affects height, weight, intelligence, personality
Chromosomal Abnormalities
-down syndrome (21st chromosome pair fails to separate during miosis)
-sex chromosome abnormalities (problems w X or Y chromosomes - short neck, flat face, small feet/hands)
Genetic Counseling
Helps assess risk of hereditary disorders
Pros of reproductive technology
donor insemination, IVF, surrogates
Concerns of reproductive technology
-post-menopause birth
-selection of characteristics
-exploitation of financially needy women
Prenatal diagnostic methods
-amniocentesis, -ultrasound
-blood analysis
-ultrafast magnetic resonance
-preimplantation genetic diagnosis
Fetal medicine risks
complications, premature labor or miscarriage
Causes of difficulties in adoptees
-genetic predispositions
-stress of bio mom
-history of conflict-ridden familial relationships
-dissimilar to adoptive parents
Socioeconomic Status (SES)
years of education (S), income (E), prestige of one’s job (S)
SES is linked to:
-timing of marriage/parenthood
-family size
-values and expectations for child
-communication and discipline style
-child’s cognitive and social development
Risks of poverty
-lifelong poor physical health
-poor cognitive and academic achievement
-mental illness
-aggression
-hostile family
Risks of affluence
-poor academic achievement
-alcohol/drug use
-delinquency
-mental illness
-unavailable parents
Benefits of a neighborhood
-offers resources and social ties
-impact on economically disadvantaged
-in/after-school programs
Impact of schooling
-complex social systems
-doing well in elementary/high school crucial to college success
-children in low SES neighborhoods likely to have poorer education
-parental involvement aids academic achievement
Cultural context
US culture (emphasizes independence, self-reliance, family privacy) vs subcultures (enhances resilience and child-rearing)
Benefits of the African American extended family
-reduces stress of poverty
-family helps with child rearing
-teen moms more likely to complete HS
-improves child’s school and social life
-strengthens family bonds
Collectivism
stress group goals over individual goals, value interdependent qualities (i.e social harmony)
Individualism
Concern with personal needs, value independence (i.e personal achievement)
US Public Policy shortcomings
children: lack affordable health insurance, weak enforcement of child support, high dropout rates
other adults: limited social service funding, social security minimum below poverty line
Behavioral Genetics
-explores contributions of nature/nurture to diversity of human traits
-limited to impact of heredity on complex characteristics indirectly
Heritability Estimates
-measures which differences in complex traits are due to heredity
-obtained from kinship studies
-estimates range from 0-1.00
-limitations: may not represent the population
Gene-Environment Interaction
-people respond differently to same environment because of genetic makeup
-similar responses can result from different gene-environment combinations
Gene-Environment Correlation
-our genes influence the environments to which we’re exposed
-genes affect behavior and experiences
