Chapter 3 GP 4,5 & 6

Psych 30
NWRC
4 How do scientists study the
relative influences of
heredity and environment
and how do heredity and
environment work
together?
Heritability
• Heritability is a
statistical estimate
of how great
contribution
heredity makes to
individual
differences in a
specific trait within
a given population
Family Studies
• In family studies it is
quite difficult for
researchers to
determine whether
certain traits are
caused by heredity
or environment.
Family Studies
• A good example
would be obesity –
are the children
overweight because
of heredity, or
because the whole
family overeats
together
(environmental)?
Adoption Studies
• This is why
researchers like to
do adoption studies
where the effects of
heredity can be
separated from the
effects of
environment.
Adoption Studies
• Studies of monozygotic
twins separated at birth
are particularly
interesting to
researchers as they
have shown a
hereditary basis for
many concordant traits
• that are not explained
by environment.
Adoption Studies
• Adriana Scott was adopted from
Mexico when she was just weeks old.
While growing up on Long Island, N.Y.,
she noticed that she looked nothing
like her cousins.
She had no idea why she excelled at
certain things. “I’m very into music and
into dancing,” she says. “My family’s
not like that, really.”
And she always believed her quirks
were hers alone: “Nothing like, ‘Oh, I
got this from my mom, or I got this
from my dad.’ It’s kind of just been like
me.”
But what she didn't know was that she
had an identical twin sister who lived
just miles away in New York City.
Adoption Studies June 18, 2004
• Researcher Nancy Segal has
spent a lifetime trying to answer
questions. She has interviewed
more than 50 pairs of identical
twins who were separated at birth.

"Identical twins raised apart are

exceedingly rare," says Segal.
"they're very, very valuable cases
to scientists."
She wants to know how Tamara
and Adriana's similarities compare
with other identical twins
separated at birth. What can they
teach us about why we behave the
way we do? Why we pick certain
jobs? Why we have certain
friends?
Adoption Studies June 18, 2004
• "To the extent that identical twins
are more alike in these things, we
can say with a fairly strong degree
of confidence that yes, genes do
play a role," says Segal.
So, does it really matter what you
do as a parent? Long-range
studies of identical twins show that
parenting is important because it
affects how well your child will
develop their genetic potential.
“We find that genes play a 50
percent role in fashioning
personality, which means that half
is also fashioned by the
environment,” says Segal.
Adoption Studies June 18, 2004
• “The twins show some very
striking similarities in personality,
but when you look at personality
development across a broader
spectrum of people, you will find
some differences.”
Whatever the differences between
Adriana and Tamara are, it’s their
similarities that matter most to
them.
“I just feel like I’ve known her my
whole life. I just feel so
comfortable and there’s just so
much familiarity with her that it’s
strange,” says Tamara. “Even
when we walk together, I just feel
like it’s right. It’s just so strange.”
Adoption Studies June 18, 2004
• Since this story came out
Adriana has graduated
from college with a
degree in psychology.
Tamara expects to
graduate soon with a
minor in psychology.
• (this story is documented
on the CBS new web site
under the heading “Twist
of fate” if you want to
read more about their
story).
Reaction range
• Reaction range is the
range of potential
expressions of a
hereditary trait. For
example body size
which is regulated by
biological factors can
be influenced within a
range based on
environmental factors.
Reaction range
• So if a child is well-
nourished his/her
body size may reach
it’s genetic capacity
whereas a child who
is malnourished
(having the same
genetic potential)
will not. (see figure
3-8 on pg. 82 of text)
 Genotype –Environment
interaction
• – the reactions of genetically different people
to similar environmental conditions – in other
words sometimes a trait requires both a
genetic predisposition and an environmental
condition. The example used in your
textbook is allergies to pollen (pg 82) People
with pollen allergies have to have both a
genetic predisposition to be allergic as well
as the environmental influences of pollen
Genotype-Environment
Correlation
• Genotype-Environment
Correlation – The
environment reinforces
certain genetic differences.
This can work in one of 3
ways
• Passive correlations:
Parents who have provided
the gene also provide an
environment where that trait
is encouraged. This could
work in the obesity example
used earlier, or in musical or
artistic talent.
Genotype-Environment
Correlation
• Reactive or Evocative
Correlations: Children’s
different genetic
makeup can evoke
different responses
from parents and so
they set up the
environment different to
accommodate those
children and this elicits
a response from the
child which strengthens
a genetic predisposition
 Active Correlations
• Active Correlations: This is also called
“niche-picking”and it is a tendency of a
person to seek out environments that
are compatible with their own
genotypes. For example a child who
has musical or artistic tendencies
would choose activities and extra –
curricular classes in those areas which
in turn strengthen the predisposition.
The Non-Shared environment
• Children within families
are often very different
even though one would
think they share the
same environment.
• Closer observation of
the family would reveal
that there are many
environmental
differences which affect
each child individually.
The Non-Shared environment
• These aspects are:
family composition
and birth order
• Parental differential
treatment
• Illnesses
• Accidents
• Peers/teachers
– Experiences outside
the home
GP5 What role do heredity and
environment play in physical
health, intelligence and
personality?
• As we’ve discussed
some
characteristics are
influenced by both
hereditary and
genetics.
GP5 What role of heredity and
environment

• There are genetic

predispositions but
environmental
conditions will
influence whether or
not a child is obese
for example
Intelligence

• Heredity indicates a
strong influence on IQ
however prenatal care,
early childhood
experiences, family
literacy and parental
care can have an effect
on to what extent IQ is
developed.
Intelligence

• Heredity indicates a
strong influence on IQ
however prenatal care,
early childhood
experiences, family
literacy and parental
care can have an effect
on to what extent IQ is
developed.
Personality

• Many aspects of
personality are
inherited (inborn)
For example
shyness or
boldness. However
parental handling
can lead innately
shy children to be
more outgoing or
vice versa.
Personality

• Psychopathology – There is
strong evidence for heredity
influences on schizophrenia,
autism, alcoholism, and
depression.
• However heredity alone
does not cause these
conditions – it just means
that some people based on
environmental factors they
might experience will have a
greater predisposition to
these conditions
 6. What are the 3 stages of
prenatal development and
what happens during each
stage?
• Prenatal development takes part in 3
stages which will be discussed
2 principles of development are
important to understand before
discussing the stages –
• Cephalocaudal
(head to toe)
embryonic /fetal
development occurs
largely from head to
toe
2 principles of development are
important to understand before
discussing the stages –
• And proximodistal
(near to far)
meaning
development
proceeds from
centre of body to
outer parts such as
fingers and toes.
3 stages of prenatal development

• Germinal stage
During the germinal
stage, which begins
at conception and
lasts approximately 2
weeks; the zygote
(the one celled
organism formed by
the unification of
sperm and ovum)
cells divide rapidly.
3 stages of prenatal development

• This growing mass of cells travels through

the mother's fallopian tube to the uterus.
there, it becomes embedded into the
uterine lining and the placenta is formed.
The placenta surrounds and protects the
zygote and brings in nutrients and oxygen
while removing wastes.
3 stages of prenatal development
• Embryonic Stage
• Period of about 2-8
weeks characterized
by rapid
development of
organs major body
systems
3 stages of prenatal development
• In the picture, ten
models, approximately
life-sized, represent
eight weeks of
embryonic
development, at the end
of which main organ
systems, limbs and
features have taken
shape.
• There are 3 stages the
FETAL stage is
discussed in GP7 (next
lecture) The end