Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary goal of behavioural genetics?
What is the primary goal of behavioural genetics?
- To understand how genetic and environmental factors interact to produce a particular trait
- To identify the specific environmental factors that influence a particular trait
- To determine the exact genes responsible for a particular trait
- To determine the percentage of individual differences resulting from genetic and environmental factors (correct)
What is the term for the effect of a variable on another variable, which is influenced by a third variable?
What is the term for the effect of a variable on another variable, which is influenced by a third variable?
- Mediation (correct)
- Interaction
- Moderation
- Correlation
What is a limitation of using genetic relatedness to study the influence of genetics on a particular trait?
What is a limitation of using genetic relatedness to study the influence of genetics on a particular trait?
- It is prone to bias due to shared environment (correct)
- It is only applicable to twin studies
- It is difficult to measure genetic relatedness
- It is not applicable to human studies
What is the term for the effect of a variable on another variable, which varies depending on the levels of a third variable?
What is the term for the effect of a variable on another variable, which varies depending on the levels of a third variable?
What is a key challenge in determining the genetic contribution to a particular trait?
What is a key challenge in determining the genetic contribution to a particular trait?
Why is it difficult to obtain definitive evidence in behavioural genetics?
Why is it difficult to obtain definitive evidence in behavioural genetics?
What is heritability?
What is heritability?
What is the main assumption of twin studies?
What is the main assumption of twin studies?
What is the purpose of adoption studies?
What is the purpose of adoption studies?
What do behavioural geneticists try to determine?
What do behavioural geneticists try to determine?
What is the limitation of heritability?
What is the limitation of heritability?
What is the finding in twin studies that suggests heritability?
What is the finding in twin studies that suggests heritability?
What is the problem with using twin studies to estimate heritability?
What is the problem with using twin studies to estimate heritability?
What is the term for the proportion of observed variance in a group of people that can be attributed to environmental factors?
What is the term for the proportion of observed variance in a group of people that can be attributed to environmental factors?
What is a characteristic of non-invasive methods in personality research?
What is a characteristic of non-invasive methods in personality research?
Which personality trait is associated with sensation seeking?
Which personality trait is associated with sensation seeking?
What is a key feature of shared environments in personality research?
What is a key feature of shared environments in personality research?
According to Galen, which bodily fluid was associated with personality?
According to Galen, which bodily fluid was associated with personality?
What can brain activity measurements reveal about personality?
What can brain activity measurements reveal about personality?
Which personality trait is associated with emigration?
Which personality trait is associated with emigration?
What is a limitation of non-shared environments in personality research?
What is a limitation of non-shared environments in personality research?
What is a common method used to measure physiological responses in personality research?
What is a common method used to measure physiological responses in personality research?
What is the main assumption in the nature-nurture debate?
What is the main assumption in the nature-nurture debate?
What is the purpose of the twin study in the nature-nurture debate?
What is the purpose of the twin study in the nature-nurture debate?
What is Phineas Gage known for?
What is Phineas Gage known for?
What is the term for the differential responses of individuals with different genotypes to the same environment?
What is the term for the differential responses of individuals with different genotypes to the same environment?
What is the result of the twin study in terms of the similarity of twins reared apart?
What is the result of the twin study in terms of the similarity of twins reared apart?
What is the main controversy in the nature-nurture debate?
What is the main controversy in the nature-nurture debate?
What is the term for the environment that is only relevant for the discussion of group-level variation?
What is the term for the environment that is only relevant for the discussion of group-level variation?
What is the term for parents providing both genes and environment to children?
What is the term for parents providing both genes and environment to children?
What percentage of personality traits is estimated to be heritable?
What percentage of personality traits is estimated to be heritable?
Which of the following personality types is associated with an abundance of yellow bile?
Which of the following personality types is associated with an abundance of yellow bile?
What is the effect of a woman's presence on men's testosterone levels and physical risk taking?
What is the effect of a woman's presence on men's testosterone levels and physical risk taking?
Which of the following neuroimaging techniques is used to study brain activity?
Which of the following neuroimaging techniques is used to study brain activity?
What is the term for the interaction between genetic and environmental factors that influences personality traits?
What is the term for the interaction between genetic and environmental factors that influences personality traits?
What type of analysis can be used to study the biological basis of personality traits?
What type of analysis can be used to study the biological basis of personality traits?
Study Notes
Behavioural Genetics
- The goal of behavioural genetics is to determine the percentage of individual differences that can be attributed to genes vs. environment.
- Heritability is the proportion of phenotypic variance that is attributed to genotypic variance.
- Heritability cannot be applied to a single individual, only at a population level.
- Heritability is not a constant or immutable value, and something may have happened that has never been seen before.
Environmentality
proportion of observed variance in group of individuals attributable to environmental variance. How much can the environment explain?
Nature/Nurture
Influence of genes and of environment is only relevant for the discussion of group level variation.
Moderation and Mediation
- Moderation: the effect of A on B varies depending on levels of C (e.g., 2x2 ANOVA).
- Mediation: the effect of X on Y is a function of M (causal pathways/experimental condition).
How do we find out? (METHODS)
Family Studies
- Similarity on trait dependent on degree of genetic relatedness
- If a trait is highly heritable then family members with greater egenetic relatedness should be more similar to one another
- Shared environment confounds this similar parenting style/same school/same nutrition
- Not great for definitive evidence
Twin Studies
- Twin studies estimate heritability by comparing identical (MZ) and fraternal (DZ) twins.
- Assumptions of twin studies include: equal environments, representative samples
- Can be confounded because twins have different experiences.
Adoption Studies
- Adoption studies provide evidence for environmental influence by comparing adopted children and their biological parents.
- Removes the equal environment assumption
- selective placement of. children combined with twins reared apart - still similar as adults
Genetics and Personality
- A small number of genes are different for different individuals.
- These different genes include genes that indirectly code for physical traits and personality traits.
- The number of genes that are actually different is small.
Shared and Non-Shared Environments
- Shared environment: features shared by siblings in a family environment, which have little impact on personality.
- Non-shared environment: features of the environment that differ across siblings, which have a significant impact on personality.
Physiology and Personality
- Physiological measures can include: cardiovascular activity, brain activity, and biochemical analyses.
- Examples of physiological measures include: heart rate, blood pressure, and EEG/PET/fMRI scans.
Historical Theories of Personality
- Galen's four temperaments: phlegmatic, melancholic, choleric, and sanguine.
- Each temperament was associated with an imbalance of bodily fluids (phlegm, black bile, yellow bile, and blood).
Other Factors
- Presence of a woman can elevate testosterone and physical risk-taking in men.
- Genotype-environment correlation: differential responses of individuals with different genotypes to the same environment.
- Genotype-environment interaction: the effect of a genotype on a phenotype is dependent on the environment.
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