Module 5: Genetic Influences on Behavior

I. Genes: Our Biological Blueprint

A. Chromosomes- threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes.
B. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) a complex molecule containing the genetic information that
makes up the chromosomes. (A DNA molecule has two strands-forming a “double helix”-held
together by bonds between pairs of nucleotides.)
C. Genes- the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; a segment of DNA
capable of synthesizing a protein.
D. Genome- the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic
material in its chromosomes. The human genome has 3 billion weakly bonded pairs of
nucleotides organized as coiled chains of DNA.

II. Evolutionary Psychology maximizing Fitness:

A. Natural selection- the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that
lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding
generations.
B. Mutation- a random error in gene replication that leads change in the sequence of nucleotides;
the source of all genetic diversity.
C. Evolutionary psychology- the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles
of natural selection. Natural selection has favored genes that designed both behavioral
tendencies and information-processing systems that solved adaptive problems faced by our
ancestors, thus contributing to the survival and spread of their genes.
D. Gender- in psychology, the characteristics whether biologically or socially influenced, by
which people define male and female.

III. Behavior Genetics: Predicting Individual Differences:

A- As Belyaev and Trut demonstrated, when certain traits are selected-by conferring a
reproductive advantage upon them-those traits, over time, come to have prevail. Over many
generations, wild wolves can become tame dogs, and wary foxes can have cuddly
descendants.

IV. Behavior Genetics: Predicting Individual Differences:

A- Behavior genetics- the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and
environmental influences on behavior.

B. Behavior geneticists more intensively assess our differences from one another. How much are
our differences shape by our differing genetic blueprints? And how much are our external
influence, from maternal nutrition while in the womb to social support while nearing the tomb-
reacting to our genetic traits?
 V. Environment

A. Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.

VI. Twin biology:

A. To study the effects of heredity and environment two sets of twins, identical and fraternal, have
come in handy.
B. Identical twins- twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two
genetically identical organisms.
C. Fraternal twins- twins who develop from separate eggs. They are genetically no closer than
brothers and sisters, but they share the fetal environment.
D. A person whose identical twin has Alzheimer’s disease has a 60 percent chance of sharing the
disease; if the affected twin is fraternal, the risk is only 30percent.

VII. Twins and procedures:

A. Behavior geneticists study the effects of shared and unique environments on total or partial
genetic makeup.
B. Separated twins: A number of studies looked at identical twins raised separately from birth,
have shown that identical twins usually tend have similarities in many varying attributes.
C. Adoption studies: Opposed to twin studies, adoption studies suggest that adoptees (who may
have been biologically unrelated) tend to be different from their caregivers. Adoptions studies
show that, although the personalities of adopted children do not much resemble those of their
adoptive parents, adoption matters. Although the genetic leash limit’s the family environment’s
influence on personality, parents do influence their children’s attitudes, values, manners, faith,
and politics.

VIII. Parenting

A. Parenting does have a huge effect on biologically related and unrelated children.

IX. Temperament studies

A. Temperament- A person’s emotional reactivity and intensity.
B. Temperament refers to a person’s stable emotional reactivity and intensity. Identical twins
express similar temperaments, suggesting heredity predisposes temperament.
C. The most emotionally intense preschoolers tend to be relatively intense as young adults.

X. Heritability of any trait-the extent to which variation among individuals can be attributed to
their differing genes.
A. Heritability- the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. The
heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments
studied.
B. Individual differences in height and weight are highly heritable. Yet nutritional rather than
genetic influences explain why, as a group, today’s adults are taller and heavier than those of a
century ago.

XI. Environment Interaction:

 A. We are the product of a cascade of interactions between our genetic predispositions and our
surrounding environments. Our genes effect how people react to and influence us. Biological
appearances have social consequences.
B. Interactions- The dependence of the effect of one factor (such as environment) on another
factor (such as heredity).

XII. The New Frontier: Molecular Genetics:

A. Molecular Genetics- the sub field of biology that studies the molecular structure and function
of genes.
B. As we have already seen, most human traits are influenced by teams of genes. For example,
twin and adoption studies tell us that heredity influences how quickly the stomach tells the brain
“I’m full.” Others might dictate how efficiently the body makes extra calories into fats, how
much fuel the muscles need, and how many calories are burned off by fidgeting.
C. Now it is also becoming possible to choose the sex of a child before conception with the
reasonable chances of success.

6- Environmental Influences on Behavior and Reflections on Nature and

Nurture

I. Parental Environment
a. Identical twins who share the same placenta are more alike than those who don’t
suggesting parental influences in psychological traits.

II. Experimental Development

a. Early postnatal experiments affect brain development. Rosenzwieg (1984) showed that
rats raised in enriched environments developed thicker cortices.
III. Experience and facilities

A – Early experience during development in humans have also shown remarkable

improvement in music language and the arts.

IV. Parental Influence

a. Is mainly from genetic. Indeed, this support is essential in nurturing children, however
other socializing factors also play an important role.

V. Peer Influence
 a. Children like adults attempt to fit into a group by conforming peers are influential in
such areas as learning to cooperate with others, gain popularity and develop
interactions.

VI. Cultural Influence

a. Humans have the ability to evolve culture. Culture is composed of behaviors, ideas,
attitudes values and traditions shared by a group.

VII. Variation across Culture

a. Cultures differ. Each culture develops norm roles for accepted and expected behavior.
Men holding hands in Arabia its normal (close personal space) not in American Culture.
b. Culture- the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions, shared by a large group
of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.
c. Norm- an understood rule for accepted and expected behaviors. Norms prescribe
“proper” behavior.
d. Personal space- the buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies.

VIII. Variation overtime

a. Cultures change over time. Rate of this change can be extremely fast. This has happened
in many countries in the West where culture has rapidly changed over past 40 years or
so.
b. This change cannot be attributed to change in the human gene pool because genes
evolve very slowly.
XI. Culture and Self
a. If culture nurture an individual’s personal identity they give rise to individualism, but if
the group identity is favored than culture marks collectivism.
b. Collectivist support system can help group in disaster like earthquake in Pakistan.

XII. Culture and Child-rearing

a. Individualist cultures (European) raise their children as independent. Individuals where
as collectivist culture (Asian) rears their children as interdependent.

XIII. Developmental Similarities Across Groups

a. Despite diverse cultural backgrounds in many ways humans are more similar than
different. We share this same genetic profile, life cycle, capacity, for language, and
biological needs.
XIV. Gender Development
a. Based on genetic makeup males and females are alike, especially since the majority of
our inherited genes (45 chromosomes are unisex) are similar.
b. Males and females differ biologically in body fat, muscle height onset, of puberty, and
life expecting.

XIII. Gender difference in aggression

A. Men more than women express and behave in aggressive ways. This aggression gender gap
appears in many cultures, and at various ages.
B. In males the nature of this aggression is physical.

XIV- Gender and Social Power

A. In most societies, men and socially dominant and are perceived as such.
B. In 2005 men made 84% of the governing parliaments.

XV- Gender differences and connectedness

A. Women make more connections (friendships) with others than men; and make friends with
young and old. Men emphasize freedom and self-reliance.

XVI- Biology of Sex

A. Biological sex is determined by the 23 pairs of chromosomes. If XX than female is produced,

on if XY than a mate child is produced.
B. X chromosomes- the sex chromosomes found in both men and women. Females have the two X
chromosomes; males have one. An X chromosome from each parent produces a female child
C. Y chromosomes- the sex chromosome found only in males. When paired with X sex
chromosomes from the mother, it produces a male child.
D. Testosterone- the most important of the male sex hormones. Both males and females have it,
but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus
and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty.
 XVII- Sexual differentiation

A. In the mother’s womb the male fetus is exposed to testosterone (because of chromosomes)
which leads to the development at male gentitalia.
B. If low levels of the test as terones are released in the uterus the rest in a female.

XVIII- Gender role

A. Our culture shapes our gender roles expectations of how men and women are supposed to
behave.
B. Gender identity means how a person views himself or herself in terms in terms of gender.