Unit 2 - Behavior Genetics + Human Nature

Question 1

What is behavior genetics?

Answer 1

The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

Question 2

What is the genome?

Answer 2

All of the genetic material in the organism’s chromosomes

Question 3

What are identical twins?

Answer 3

• Developed from a single fertilized egg (monozygotic twins)
• They don’t always have the same number of copies of genes

Question 4

What are fraternal twins?

Answer 4

• Develop form separated fertilized eggs (dizygotic twins)
• Are genetically no more similar to ordinary siblings

Question 5

Which type of twin is more similar? In what ways?

Answer 5

• In both extraversion (outgoingness) and neuroticism (emotional stability), identical twins are more similar than fraternal twins

Question 6

How similar are separated twins?

Answer 6

• Although separated, they have similar physical attributes and personality
• Separation shortly after birth didn’t amplify personality differences.

Question 7

Adoption results in _____ relatives and ______ relatives

Answer 7

Genetic relatives (biological parents + siblings) and environmental relatives

Question 8

True or false: People who grow up together (biologically related or not) don’t resemble one another in personality

Answer 8

True - Environment has no impact on personalities

Question 9

What is molecular genetics? What can we learn from molecular behavioral genetics?

Answer 9

• The study of molecular structure and function of genes
• Allow us to identify specific genes influencing behavior
• The goal of molecular behavior genetics is to find some of the many genes that together orchestrate traits

Question 10

What is the benefit of molecular genetics?

Answer 10

• By looking at differences in DNA from affected and unaffected family members, you can help predict risk and prevent problems

Question 11

What is heritability?

Answer 11

• The proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes (doesn’t refer to the impact of nature on an individual)
• We can’t say what % of an individual’s personality/intelligence is inherited

Question 12

What is epigenetics?

Answer 12

Studying how the molecular ways by which the environment triggers epigenetic expression

Question 13

How does evolutionary psychology explain differences in sexuality and in mating?

Answer 13

• Men have a lower threshold for perceiving warm responses as a sexual come-on
• When it comes to sex, women are more rational
• In terms of preference, we prefer whatever worked for our ancestors

Question 14

What does the biopsychosocial approach suggest?

Answer 14

Suggests that we’re an open system and that we can change

Question 15

What is Occam’s razor?

Answer 15

The principle is that we should prefer the simplest of competing explanations