Chapter 4: Biological Perspective (Inheritance, Evolution and Personality) Flashcards

1
Q

Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart

A

Heritablity plays a role in following traits:

  • sexual orientation
  • cognition
  • intelligence
  • job satisfaction
  • psychopathology
  • religiosity
  • aggression
  • creativity
  • temperament etc.
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2
Q

The Biological Perspective

A
  • personality characteristics are genetically determined
  • personality and behavioral tendencies have been determined by evolutionary pressure
  • personality is a result of a complex biological system, interaction between biological processes
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3
Q

Heritability

A

degree of genetic influence on personality

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4
Q

Temperament

A
  • inherited personality traits present in early childhood
  • theory: infant temperament = prediction for adult personality
  • research is controversial: week predictor
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5
Q

Temperament according to Buss and Plomin

A
  • activity level: overall output of energy or behavior
  • sociability: tendency to be with people rather than being alone, desire for interaction, social rewards
  • Emotionality: tendency to become physiologically aroused in stressful situations
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6
Q

Temperament and the Five Factor Model

A
  • Emotionality - Neuroticism
  • Sociability - Extroversion, Agreeableness
  • Conscientiousness - lack of impulsivity
  • Openness to experience - intelligence
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7
Q

Personality Traits and Family History

A
  • risk factors: divorce, social support, mental illness, alcoholism etc.
  • evidence suggest family history influences traits
  • nature or nurture?
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8
Q

Inheritance and Sexual Orientation

A
  • concordance rate for homosexuality is higher among MZ twins than DZ twins
  • family history studies: homosexual men have more homosexual males on the maternal side of the family (genetic influence might be on the X chromosome)
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9
Q

Effects of the Environment on Personality

A
  • peer influences
  • experience-seeking
  • reward patterns
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10
Q

Evolutionary Psychology

A

behavior and social interaction are products of human evolution (sociobiology)

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11
Q

How do evolutionary psychologists explain behavior and personality?

A

studying evolutionary roots of the individual, family or species

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12
Q

Biological Altruism

A
  • altruistic behavior when it benefits other organisms at cost of oneself
  • costs and benefits are measured in terms of reproductive fitness (expected number of offspring)
  • altruistic behavior: organism reduces the number of offspring it is likely to produce itself, but boosts the number of offspring that other organism are likely to produce
  • Self-sacrifice: helps gene pool survive
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13
Q

Genetic Similarity Theory

A
  • attraction to individuals with similar genetic characteristics
  • ensure that genetic characteristics are passed on
  • couples with children share 52% of genetic markers
  • couples without children share 44%
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14
Q

Characteristics women seek when mating

A
  • more invested in offspring
  • men who can provide resources for offspring
  • focused on status, dominance, wealth and potential wealth
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15
Q

Characteristics men seek when mating

A
  • women who can provide offspring

- fertility indicators: youth, beauty, health

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16
Q

Evolutionary Explanation for Jealousy

A
  • men fear other male genes might be passed on

- women are more upset about emotional infidelity: fear that man will no longer support their offspring

17
Q

Inheritance of Abnormal Behavior

A
  • if normal personality traits can be passed on, abnormal can be too
  • psychopathology is caused by genetic vulnerabilities, abnormalities, neurotransmitter and hormonal imbalances (schizophrenia)
  • according to this perspective: ability to modify maladaptive personality traits is limited