Chapter 6 Flashcards
Genome
The complete set of genes an organism possesses.
Genetic Junk
DNA in the human chromosomes used to be chalked with this term because scientists believed that these parts were functionless residues that served no purpose.
Eugenics
Notion that we can design the future of the human species by fostering the reproduction of persons with certain traits and by discouraging the reproduction of persons without those traits.
Percentage of Variance
Individuals vary, or are different from each other, and this variability can be partitioned into percentages that are due to different causes.
Heritability
Statistic that refers to the proportion of observed variance in a group of individuals that can be accounted for by genetic variance.
Phenotypic Variance
Observed individual differences, such as height or weight.
Genotypic Variance
Individual differences in the total collection of genes possessed by each person.
Environmentality
Percentage of observed variance in a group of individuals that can be attributed to environmental differences.
Nature-Nurture Debate
Arguments about whether genes or environments are more important determinants of personality.
Selective Breeding
Identifying the dogs that possess the desired characteristic and having them mate only with other dogs that also possess the characteristic.
Family Studies
Correlate the degree of genetic relatedness among family members with the degree of personality similarity.
Twin Studies
Estimate heritability by gauging whether identical twins, who chare 100 percent of their genes, are more similar to each other than are fraternal twins, who share only 50 percent of their genes.
Monozygotic (MZ) Twins
Come from a single fertilized egg, which divides into two at some point during gestation.
Dizygotic (DZ) Twins
Come from two eggs that were separately fertilized.
Equal Environments Assumption
The environments experienced by identical twins are no more similar to each other than are the environments experienced by fraternal twins.
Adoption Studies
One can examine the correlations between adopted children and their adoptive parents, with whom they share no genes.
Selective Placement
If adopted children are place with adoptive parents who are similar to their birth parents, then this may inflate the correlations between the adopted children and their adoptive parents.
Shared and Non-Shared Environmental Influences
Some features of their environment are shared and some are not.
Genotype-Environment Interaction
The differential response of individuals with different genotypes to the same environments.
Genotype-Environment Correlation
The differential exposure of individuals with different genotypes to different environments.
Passive Genotype-Environment Correlation
When parents provide both genes and the environment to children, yet the children do nothing to obtain that environment.
Reactive Genotype-Environment Correlation
When parents respond to children differently, depending on the child’s genotypes.
Active Genotype-Environment Correlation
When a person with a particular genotype creates or seeks out a particular environment.
Molecular Genetics
Designed to identify the specific genes associated with personality traits.
DRD4
Located on short arm of chromosome 11, is a code for a protein called dopamine receptor.
Environmentalist View
Personality was determined by socialization practices, such as parenting style.
