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</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</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of a gene?

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

    What is the primary focus of epigenetics?

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

    What does heritability measure within a population?

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

    Which characteristic is true of identical twins?

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

    What does the term genotype refer to?

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

    What does polygenic transmission imply about phenotypic traits?

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

    Which technique involves making a gene inoperative for study?

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

    What is meant by polygenic transmission?

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

    What is concordance in genetic studies?

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

    Which term describes the observable traits of an organism?

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

    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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