Genes and Behavior

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Questions and Answers

What do adoption studies typically analyze in individuals raised apart from their biological parents?

  • The influence of socio-economic status on personality traits
  • The variation in traits influenced more by genes than environment (correct)
  • The impact of educational background on cognitive development
  • How traits vary in individuals based on shared environments

What is a major assumption made by adoption studies regarding the placement of children?

  • Children are placed into homes to maximize genetic similarities
  • Placement is random and not influenced by the biological family's status (correct)
  • Children will thrive better when placed with families of lower socio-economic status
  • Adoptive parents must have similar psychological traits as biological parents

How is the concept of 'reaction range' best defined?

  • The distance between the mean and the lowest scores in IQ tests
  • The extent to which environmental factors can alter genetic expression
  • The variations in behavior that result from evolutionary adaptations
  • The genetic limits within which environmental influences can operate (correct)

What is a significant criticism of evolutionary psychology?

<p>It relies heavily on assumptions about early human behavior that are largely speculative (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What concept suggests that adopted individuals who resemble their biological parents are influenced more by genetic factors?

<p>Trait heritability (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of a gene?

<p>To control the synthesis of one protein (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes an allele?

<p>One of two or more genes at a specific site on a chromosome (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of epigenetics?

<p>Heritable changes in gene function without altering DNA sequence (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does heritability measure within a population?

<p>The variability in traits attributable to genetic factors (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main problem with family studies in genetic analysis?

<p>They ignore the effects of shared environments among relatives (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is true of identical twins?

<p>They share 100% of their genes (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the term genotype refer to?

<p>The genetic makeup of an organism (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does polygenic transmission imply about phenotypic traits?

<p>They are influenced by multiple pairs of genes (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does it imply if an adopted individual shows greater similarity to their biological parents in psychological traits?

<p>Their traits are more strongly influenced by genetic factors. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What challenge does selective placement present in adoption studies?

<p>Children are placed in homes that are similar to their biological families' characteristics. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements reflects a limitation of evolutionary psychology?

<p>Many claims are not testable and are often unfalsifiable. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is suggested by the concept of reaction range in terms of genetic and environmental influence?

<p>Environmental factors can only operate within genetically determined limits. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is the assumption of randomness in child placements in adoption studies significant?

<p>It allows for accurate comparisons between genetic and environmental influences. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between a dominant gene and a recessive gene?

<p>A dominant gene is expressed regardless of other genes. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the heritability coefficient indicate?

<p>The variation of a trait attributed to genetic differences within a population. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which technique involves making a gene inoperative for study?

<p>Knockout procedure. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by polygenic transmission?

<p>The control of a single trait by multiple genes. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is concordance in genetic studies?

<p>The likelihood that two individuals share the same characteristics. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant challenge faced in family studies when estimating genetic risk?

<p>The inability to measure environmental influences shared by relatives. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the observable traits of an organism?

<p>Phenotype. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do identical twins differ from fraternal twins genetically?

<p>Identical twins share more genetic material than fraternal twins. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Twin Studies

Research comparing identical (monozygotic) and fraternal (dizygotic) twins to understand the impact of genes and environment on traits.

Adoption Studies

Analysis of traits in adopted individuals to determine if traits are more similar to biological or adoptive parents.

Selective Placement (Adoption)

A confounding factor in adoption studies where children are not randomly placed in adoptive homes, potentially biasing results.

Reaction Range

The genetically determined potential range of traits, influenced by environmental factors.

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Evolutionary Psychology

A field that uses Darwin's theory to explain human behavior.

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Gene

A section of a chromosome that controls the production of a protein.

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Genotype

An organism's complete set of genes.

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Phenotype

An organism's observable characteristics.

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Dominant Gene

A gene that masks the effect of another gene (recessive).

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Heritability

The proportion of variation in a trait that's due to genes in a population.

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Identical Twins

Twins that develop from a single fertilized egg.

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Fraternal Twins

Twins that develop from two separate fertilized eggs.

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Heredity

The passing of traits from parents to offspring via genes.

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What does a controlled environment mean for twin studies?

In twin studies, both identical and fraternal twins are assumed to grow up with similar environmental influences, like the same home, education, and social circles.

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Why are adoption studies useful for understanding genes vs. environment?

Adoption studies compare traits in adopted individuals to their biological and adoptive parents to see if the traits are more similar to their genes (biological parents) or their environment (adoptive parents).

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What does selective placement mean?

Selective placement is when a child is not randomly placed in an adoptive home but instead placed in a home considered similar to their biological family's background and lifestyle.

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What is Evolutionary Psychology?

A field that uses Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection to explain human behavior and social traits.

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Allele

One of the alternate forms of a gene that can exist at a specific location on a chromosome. Different alleles contribute to different traits.

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Polygenic Transmission

When multiple gene pairs contribute to a single phenotypic trait, leading to a range of expressions.

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Epigenetics

The study of heritable changes in gene function that aren't caused by alterations in DNA sequence.

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Knockout Procedure

A technique to inactivate a gene in an organism to study its function, by comparing its behavior to a normal organism.

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Concordance

The likelihood of two individuals sharing a specific characteristic, often used in twin studies to assess genetic influence.

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Study Notes

Genes and Behavior

  • Chromosome: Threadlike structures inside a cell's nucleus, carrying genes.
  • Gene: The part of a chromosome controlling the synthesis of one protein, composed of DNA.
  • Genome: The complete set of genes, distinguished by their location (locus) and base sequence.
  • Allele: Any of two or more genes that can occur at a given site on a chromosome; often occur alternately.
  • Genotype: An organism's genetic makeup
  • Phenotype: An organism's observable traits
  • Dominant Gene: A gene masking the effects of other genes
  • Recessive Gene: A gene only expressed when a dominant gene is absent.
  • Polygenic Transmission: When a single trait is controlled by more than one pair of genes.
  • Epigenetics: The study of heritable changes in gene function without altering DNA sequence.

Knockout Procedure

  • A technique for making a gene inactive.
  • Behavior of the modified (KO'd) animal is compared to a normal animal.
  • More than one gene can be altered simultaneously.
  • Genes can be "knocked in", or replaced completely.
  • Limitations: Behavior is complex: several genes likely affect behavior, and a single gene could have multiple effects

Heritability

  • The extent to which trait variation in a population is due to genes.
  • Estimated using a heritability coefficient, e.g., 80% of height differences might be due to genetics.
  • Cannot be used to predict individual traits.
  • Only applicable within specific populations

Heredity

  • The passing of traits from parents to offspring through genes.

Concordance

  • Measures the likelihood that two people share the same characteristic.

Family Studies

  • Analysis of how characteristics are passed through family lines.
  • Useful for estimating risk of disorders within related individuals.
  • Limitation: Difficulty in separating genetic and environmental influences on relatives.

Twin Studies

  • Identical (MZ) twins share 100% of their genes, fraternal (DZ) twins share 50%.
  • If MZ twins show more similarity than DZ twins for a trait, it suggests a strong genetic influence.
  • Environments are assumed similar to isolate genetic factors.

Adoption Studies

  • Analysis of traits in individuals raised apart from their biological relatives.
  • If adopted children share traits with their biological parents, it suggests genetic influence.
  • If they share traits primarily with their adoptive parents, environmental influence is more likely.
  • Selective Placement: Adoption agencies try to place children in homes similar to their biological family. This confounds results; adoption studies typically assume random placement to avoid this bias.

Reaction Range

  • The range within which environmental factors impact an organism's genetic traits.

Evolutionary Psychology

  • Applies Darwin's theory of natural selection to human and animal behavior.
  • Critiques: Many claims are difficult or impossible to test. Relies heavily on assumption about humans that might not always be accurate.
  • Note: Multiple evolutionary explanations frequently exist, fitting almost any observation.

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