Core - Chapter 2 - Behavioral Genetics and Twin/Family Studies

Question 1

What is behavioral genetics?

Answer 1

An understanding of how both genetics and the environment contribute to individuals variations in human bahavior

Question 2

How any percent of our genes do we share with the rhesus monkey and what does this imply?

Answer 2

93%, that the 7 per cent difference accounts for a significant amount, DNA plays a role in behavior

Question 3

What is the diathesis-stress model?

Answer 3

That depression is a result of the interaction between “genetic vulnerability” and traumatic environmental stimuli in early childhood

Question 4

Describe a study on genes

Answer 4

1990-2003, James D. Watson, The Human Genome Project

Mapping and identifying the 25,000 human genes.

Question 5

What is a correlational study?

Answer 5

A study where researchers look at how different co-variables may vary. Establishes a relationship between variables, no IV is manipulated, no cause and effect determined

Question 6

What is the concordance rate?

Answer 6

The correlation found in twin studies (which should be higher the more closely related you are)

Question 7

How are family studies executed?

Answer 7

The different degrees of genetic relatedness are compared to behavior. The notion is that concordance rate will increase if heridability is high and vice versa

Question 8

Describe limitations with adoption studies

Answer 8

The children are not representative of the general population
Adoption agencies tend to use selective placement (adoptive families being as similar as the natural families), therefore genetic inheritance can be difficult to separate from the influences of the environment