Ch.14 Genetics/Temperament Flashcards
Temperment
individual differences and in emotional and motivational tendencies evident in early life; personality processes and structures that do not have intentionality
Refers to emotional/behavioral styles
How is temperament different from character?
BIOLOGICAL Temperment: biologically based individual differences in emotional and motivational tendencies that are apparent very early in life
Temperment is usually studied as early as 6 months old^^^^
ENVIRONEMNTAL Charachter: refers to the self-regulatory aspects of behavior including environmental adaptatioj, goal setting and self reflection (how people see themselves and self-regulate)
Phrenology:
idea that Gall posited that specific areas of the brain are responsible for specific emotional/behavioral functions
Kagan, Childhood Behavioral Profiles
Identified two childhood behavioral profiles in attempt to make a biologically deterministic argument
Inhibted: reacts to unfamiliar stimuli with restraint, avoidance, distress, more unusual fears/phobias
Unhibted: reacts to unfamiliar stimuli positively
Limitations and advantages of Kagan’s theory.
LIMITATIONS: However, personality does not vary CATEGORICALLY, as in one or the other, rather dimensionally/on a spectrum; Social experience seems to modify the functioning of amygdala/prefrontal cortex so therefore it is not all due to genetics
ADVANTAGES: used highly objective and rigorous research methods , “Inhibited” shows higher amygdala activity with unfamiliar stimuli; Molecular Bases of Fear: gene that contributes to levels of proteins (stathmin) influences the functioning of the amygdala
Effortful Control
The ability to suppress a dominant responser in order to perform a subdominant response (like self-control when eating)
Behavioral Genetics
Attempts to determine whether genetic influences contribute to a given observed psychological quality, and determine whether environmental factors contribute to a psychological quality (genetic research often provides support for environmental arguments)
Twin Studies
Twin studies gauge the degree to which genetic factors explain individual differences in psychological characteristics
Monozygotic Twins: develop from the same fertilized egg and are genetically identical
Dizygotic Twins: develop from two separately fertilize
Heritability Coefficient:
estimates degree to which variation in the population is explained by genetic factors, NOT the degree to which your individual variation is explained by generic factors
Molecular Genetic Paradigms
Examining genetic material of different individuals and show the variations on a genetic level
Genome Wide Association Studies:
researchers explore variations that may occur at individual locations in the entire human genome
Single Nuceotide Polymorphisms
groupings are used to identify particular psychological qualities
Shared vs. non shared environmental influence
Shared Environmental Influence: environmental influences that make siblings more alike than they would be based on biology alone (however, tend to not be as influential)
Nonshared Environmental Influence: create differences among siblings in family (much more influential
Epigenetics
Genetic factors interacting with environment
Individuals with different genetic constitutions may evoke different responses from the environment
Individuals with different constitutions select and create different environments
Histoines
Histones: proteins that contribute to the physical structure of chromosomes; when biochemical processes cause histones to change shape, the changes affect gene expression
Classic Evolutionary Approach
Mind contains a set of instincts that have been present for all evolutionary time
Proximate Causes of Behavior: refer to biological processes operating in the organism at the time a behavior is observed
Ultimate Causes: asks why a biological process/mechanism is present in an organism in the first place
Classical evolutionary approach searches for ultimate causes in behavior
Classic Evolutionary approach and the mind
First important feature of the mind are those that solve problems related to reproductive success, evolved mental mechanisms are adaptive to way of life since the beginning of time, evolved psychological mechanisms are domain specific NOT INTERCONNECTED, mind contains multiple processing structures
Classic Approach, Parental Investment Theory
Parental Investment Theory: biological differences between the sexes cause women to invest more in parenting; they can pass their genes to fewer offspring than men
Cultural Evolutionary Approach
Evolution has given our minds the ability to adapt and learn from cultures, that our mind acquires new skills and abilities from
Not accurate, the ability to read for example, is a cultural entity that then creates the needed brain pathways
Cognitive Gadget
Cognitive Gagdet: mental tool for thinking and learning acquired due to culture (like reading)
Selective Social Learning:
tendency to learn from some individuals but not others
Left/Right Hemipshere Dominance
Right side: responds with more negative emotion
Left Side: responds with more positive emotion
Neurotransmitters/ Temperament
Dopamine: reward system (too much can lead to schizophrenia, too little can lead to parkinson’s )
Serotonin: regulation of mood
May account for some individual differences
Cortisol: stress responses; individual differences in stress responses
Testosterone: differences in aggression between individuals
Three Dimensions of Temperment, Clark & Watson
NE: negative emotionally (right hemisphere)
PE: positive emotionally (legt hemisphere)
DvC: disinhibition vs. constraint (high score would mean recklessness/impulsivity)
