PSYCH 104 Midterm 2 (Genetics and testing)

Question 1

Polygenetic transmission

Answer 1

Polygenetic transmission:
- when a single phenotype is controlled by more than one pair of genes

Question 2

Epigenetics

Answer 2

Epigenetics: basically that genetic development occurs due to environment

Question 3

Knockout procedure:

Answer 3

Knockout procedure:
- Its rarely ever just one gene that gets knocked out
- Behavior is often a construct of multiple things not just one gene

Question 4

Heritability

Answer 4

Heritability:
- the extent to which the variation of a particular trait across individuals of a particular population occur
- it is estimated using the heritability coefficient

Question 5

Heredity

Answer 5

Heredity:
- The passing of traits from parents to offspring by way of genetics

Question 6

Concordance

Answer 6

Concordance:
- The likelihood that two people share the same characteristics

Question 7

Designs in behavioral genetics - Family studies

Answer 7

Designs in behavioral genetics
- Family studies
○ Analysis of how characteristics run in intact families
○ Useful for estimating risk of a disorder among the relatives of members afflicted with the disorder
○ Problems:
§ Relatives share similar environment and genes (cant separate genes and environment)

Question 8

Designs in behavioral genetics
- Twin studies

Answer 8

• Twin studies
  ○ Twins can be of two types
  § Identical
  □ Come from a single zygote that split
  □ Chare 100% of genes
  § Fraternal
  □ Come from two separate zygotes
  □ Share 50% of genes
  ○ Logic: if MZ twins show more similarity on a particular trait than the DZ twins, this is assumed to be reflective of genetic factors
  § Within both types of twins, environment is assumed to be controlled:
  □ Both types of twins grow up in the same, at the same time, have similar neighbors, education etc.

Question 9

Designs in behavioral genetics
- Adoption studies

Answer 9

• Adoption studies
  ○ An analysis of how traits vary in individuals raised apart from their biological relatives
  ○ Adopted person
  § Shares genes and not environment with biological parents
  ○ Selective placement confound
  § Adoption agencies try and place children in homes similar to that of their biological parents
  Adoption studies assume that placement of the child in a home that is similar to their biological parent

Question 10

Reaction range:

Answer 10

Reaction range:
- The genetically influenced limits within which environmental factors can exert their effects on an organism
- 15 - 20 IQ points is the normal range for deviation of someone due to environment

Question 11

Evolutionary psychology (What is it?)

Answer 11

• Evolutionary psychology
  ○ A disipline that applies Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection to human and non human animal behavior
  ○ Criticisms
  § Many claims of evolutionary psych are not testable and or falsifiable
  § Relies on many assumptions about early humans which we know very little about
  § Multiple “evolutionary” explanations are often possible and can conform to any finding we like