Heritability in Psychology
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Questions and Answers

What aspect of human traits indicates that both genetics and environmental factors contribute differently to individual variance?

  • Genetic influences contribute to all variance without exception.
  • Individual experiences have no bearing on genetic influence.
  • Environmental influences and measurement error also affect variance. (correct)
  • Shared environmental influences are dominant over genetic influences.

Which statement correctly describes the relationship between shared and non-shared environmental influences?

  • Environmental influences are uniformly experienced by all individuals within a family.
  • Shared environments create similarities while non-shared factors promote differences. (correct)
  • Shared environments cause all family members to develop identical traits.
  • Non-shared environments ensure that family members are always dissimilar.

What conclusion can be drawn about the heritability of typical human traits?

  • Heritability is irrelevant in the study of human behavioral traits.
  • All typical human traits are influenced by a single gene.
  • Typical human traits are determined solely by environmental factors.
  • Multiple genes contribute incrementally to the variation of typical human traits. (correct)

What type of environmental influences are highlighted as particularly important in differentiating individuals from one another?

<p>Idiosyncratic experiences and individual circumstances outside the family. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines shared environmental influences?

<p>Characteristics that promote similarities within family members. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does heritability measure within a population?

<p>The proportion of variance attributed to genetic factors (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the heritability of intelligence among poor children based on the data?

<p>0.10 (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of twins share 100% of their genetic material?

<p>Monozygotic twins (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately represents the findings from twin studies regarding personality traits?

<p>MZ twins have a higher heritability correlation compared to DZ twins. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of genotype refer to?

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

What is a key limitation of Mendelian genetics according to the provided content?

<p>It is overly simplistic for complex traits like intelligence. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of genetic material do humans share with dogs and horses?

<p>80% (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In behavioral genetics, what factor influences the heritability of traits aside from genetics?

<p>Environmental influences (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Heritability of traits

All human behavioral traits are influenced by genetics.

Genetic vs. Shared Environment

Genetic influences on traits are stronger than shared family environment influences.

Non-shared Environment

Unique experiences outside the family (school, friends) contribute to individual differences.

Complex Trait Inheritance

Many genes, each with a small effect, influence most human traits.

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Correlation Studies

Correlation studies help determine genetic and environmental influence in people.

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Heritability

The proportion of differences in a trait across a population that can be explained by genetic factors.

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Heritability of Intelligence (wealthy)

0.72 in wealthy children, showing stronger genetic influence with greater resources.

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Heritability of Intelligence (poor)

0.10 in poor children, showing environmental factors largely shape intelligence.

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Monozygotic Twins (MZ)

Identical twins that share 100% of their genetic material

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Dizygotic Twins (DZ)

Fraternal twins who share 50% of their genetic material

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Mendelian Genetics

A model describing the inheritance of traits based on dominant and recessive genes, best for simple traits.

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DNA

The genetic material containing instructions for building and operating an organism.

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Human Gene Sharing

Humans share approximately 99.5% of their genetic material, with minor variations creating differences.

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Study Notes

Heritability

  • Heritability is the proportion of variance in a population attributed to genetics.
  • Calculated as genetic variance divided by observed variance.
  • Assumes a genetic-environmental interaction.
  • Heritability of intelligence varies significantly by socioeconomic status; .72 in wealthy children vs. .10 in poor children (Turkheimer, 2003).
  • Overall heritability for human traits generally falls between 0.3 and 0.6.

Heritable Psychological Traits

  • All traits have some degree of heritability, but environment also plays a role.
  • Examples include intelligence, personality, motivations, goals, and interests.
  • Twin studies show correlations for personality traits:
    • Monozygotic (MZ) twins (100% shared genes) have a .45 correlation on personality traits.
    • Dizygotic (DZ) (50% shared genes) twins have a .21 correlation on personality traits.

Genetics

  • Key Terms:
    • DNA: Genetic material in cells.
    • Chromosomes: Structures containing genes.
    • Base pairs (A-T, C-G): Part of DNA's structure.
    • SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism): DNA variations.
    • Gene: DNA segment responsible for protein production.
    • Allele: Different versions of a gene.
    • Genotype: Genetic makeup.
    • Phenotype: Observable traits.
  • Key Concepts:
    • Mendelian Genetics (Gregor Mendel): Explained dominant and recessive traits in pea plants, but overly simplistic for complex human traits.

Human Genetics

  • Genetic Transmission: Each parent contributes half the genetic material.
  • Genetic Similarity: Humans share 99.5% of their genetic material, but minor variations (alleles) cause trait differences.
  • Shared Ancestry: Human genes share 80% similarity with dogs and horses, highlighting common evolutionary origins.

Twin Studies

  • Monozygotic (MZ) Twins: Genetically identical (100% shared).
  • Dizygotic (DZ) Twins: Share 50% of their genes.
  • Twin studies examine the contribution of genetics and environment to traits by comparing MZ and DZ twins.
  • Environmental influences, such as parenting styles, impact twin outcomes.

Behavioral Genetics Laws (Turkheimer, 2000 / Chabris, 2015)

  • All human behavioral traits are heritable.
  • Genetic influences are more substantial than shared environmental influences.
  • Neither genetics nor shared environment fully explain all traits; non-shared environment and error also play roles.
  • Traits are influenced by many genes, each contributing a small amount.

Environmental Influences

  • Shared Environment: Factors making family members more similar (e.g., parenting, socioeconomic status). These factors can not cover all environmental variables.
  • Non-shared Environment: Factors making family members different (e.g., individual experiences, errors in measurement). Individual experiences interact with genetics in many ways.

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Description

Explore the concept of heritability and its implications in psychology. This quiz covers genetic variance, the impact of socioeconomic status on intelligence, and twin studies related to personality traits. Test your understanding of how genetics and environment interact to shape human traits.

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