Genes and Psychosocial Environment Flashcards
What is the psychological essence belief?
That each individual object has its own essence eg set of minerals - can’t turn quartz into gold - or biology - cant turn a lion into a sheep.
Explains why people believe in fat gene etc
What is as essence placeholder?
We can draw many, many inferences from the ‘essence’ of an object - sort of like stereotyping
> We need to know that each object has its own essence
Not willing to accept that something has both eg lion or tiger NOT a liger
What are the four biases that Genetic Attribution (genetic causal explanations) lead to?
1) Immutability and Determinsim - it IS going to happen
2) Specific Etiology - increases genetic explanation and reduces any other causal explanation
3) Homogeneity and Discreteness - reduces perceived IN group differences; increases perceived OUT group differences
4) Naturalness - change that it will be a natural outcome
What is the effect of attributing behaviour to genetic rather than environmental causes?
We (like evidence in discrimination) are less punitive if the behaviour is seen as being due to genetic factors rather than acts of volition.
Eg. uncontrollable explanation for homosexuality (genes or early abuse) leads to less punitive attitudes
What did Keller (2005) find regarding peoples beliefs in genetic determinism?
A high score on the Belief in Genetic Determinism (BGD) Scale:
> Associated with right-wing authoritarianism/conservatism
> Racism - blatant and symbolic
What did Keller’s (2005) experiment show regarding genetic determinism?
How?
> IV: essay on geography on genes or control
> DV: recording of linking for groups
Results:
> Western-europeans reading the essay of genes (when compared to the control) reported:
- higher levels of in group liking
- lower levels of out group liking
Conclusion:
> Genetic determination can lead to in group bias and out group degradation
How does genetic attribution affect the stigma associated with mental illness? Phelan (2005)
How? > IV: Schizophrenia of a patient either a) partly, or b) not at all due to genetic factors > DV: - seriousness - persistence - punishment of undesirable behaviour - social distance from sibling
Results:
Genetic group viewed schizophrenia as:
> requiring less punishment, BUT
> more persistent and serious AND needed more distance
Conclusion:
Genetic attribution can have a double-edged sword effect: reduces punishment, BUT has other undesirable effects
What did Dar-Nimrod et al’s (2013) experiment on finding out about the gene for alcoholism find?
As expected:
> Participants who were informed they had the allele had higher levels of negative emotions than those who found out they did not have the gene
> Mirrored effect for level of positive emotions
Main finding:
> People who learned that they did have the allele associated with alcholism LOWERED their perceived personal control over their drinking
> Same effect for non-drinkers
> Women showed intention to enroll in AA
Is it whether differences come from genes or environment which effect our views and behaviours, or neither at all?
It is our PERCEPTION of where it comes from that alters the outcomes of our views and behaviours!
What did the genocide of the Tutsi people in Rwanda and the Jew-Arab study by Kimel et al (2016) demonstrate?
> That when the genetic differences between the in group and a ethnic outgroup are made evident the risk of violence (explicit bias) is increase
Intergroup contact and Allport’s common identity - the emphasis on the similarities - may be an important intervention in reducing these evidenced genocides.
What did the studies on childhood misfortune and criminality (Caspi et al, 2002) and stress and depression (Caspi et al., 2003) show regarding nature and nurture
Both studies showed that the strongest predictor is the interaction of both a GENETIC predisposition AND an ENVIRONMENTAL priming.
Conclusion: BOTH nature and nurture combined
