Transcript Nature and Nurture in Psychology Module 3, Chapter 1 Important questions to ask  What makes you, you?  How do our families, our friends, and.

Nature and Nurture
in Psychology
Module 3, Chapter 1
Important questions to ask
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What makes you, you?
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How do our families, our friends, and our
culture in which we live affect us?
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This is what behavior genetics focuses on.
Socio-cultural perspective anyone?
If you were cloned at birth, would your clone
be exactly like you?
Behavior Genetics
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Studies the relative effects of genes and
environmental influences on behavior.
Genes – biochemical units of heredity that
make up chromosomes; a segment of DNA.
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Set up our physical beings and influence behavior.
Environment – every non-genetic influence,
from prenatal nutrition to the people and things
around us.
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Culture you are raised in, socio-economic status,
family.
Nature and Nurture
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Nature side entails the genetic code passed
from parent to child.
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Nurture side involves all environmental
influences from prenatal development on.
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Biology
Environment
Which parts of human behavior can we
attribute to nature and which can be attributed
to nurture?
Genetics in Brief
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We all have our own genetic code.
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Chromosomes – threadlike structures made of
DNA molecules that contain the genes.
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Biological blueprint found in every cell nucleus
that contains master code for your entire body.
46 in each cell, 23 from each parent.
DNA – complex molecule containing the
genetic info that makes up the chromosomes.
Chromosomes
Genes:
Location & Composition
Genome
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The complete
genetic
instructions for a
given organism
All the genetic
material in an
organism’s
chromosome
pattern
Nucleotides
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The four letter
code to
distinguish genes
Letters A,T,C, or
G are used
Mutation
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Random errors in the
replication of genes
from parent to child
which result in change
of an individual’s
genetic code
Can be desirable or
undesirable changes
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Superior eyesight, or
predisposed to cancer.
Genetic Predisposition
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The possibility of
something happening
through the genetic code
Genetics creates the
potential for something
The environment may
or may not trigger the
predisposition
Genetic traits and
diseases, sun burn
easily, etc.
Nature and Similarity
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Similarities
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Evolutionary Psychology
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99% of all humans genetic make up is the same!
Despite our differences, human beings throughout the world share
a number of similarities…how so?
The study of evolution of behavior and the mind
Uses the principle of natural selection
We have similar genes b/c we are all from people who used similar
practices to survive.
Natural Selection
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Darwin’s principle that those traits contributing to the survival of
the species will most likely be passed on to the next generation
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Discover thru trail and error what foods are okay to eat.
Nature and Individual
Differences:
Twin Studies
Anyone know any twins?
How are they alike
and how are they different?
Identical Twins
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Nature’s human
clones.
Twins who
developed from
a single
fertilized egg
Are genetically
identical
Called
monozygotic
twins
Fraternal Twins
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Twins who
developed from
separate eggs
Genetically no
different than
other siblings
Called
dizygotic twins
Heritability
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What has been inherited from your family
and genetic code?
The proportion of an individual’s
characteristics that can be attributed to
genetics (heredity)
The degree to which traits are inherited.
Twin Studies
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Used to determine the heritability of a
given trait
Data is collected from both identical and
fraternal twins on the trait
Compare the data between the two groups
Important not to conclude that a specific
behavior is inherited, just the genetic
predisposition to that behavior (anger,
conflict, etc.).
Adoption Studies
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Compare adopted children’s traits with
those of their biological parents and their
adopted parents
Trait similarities with biological parents:
attribute the trait to heredity
Trait similarities with the adopted
parents: attribute the trait to the
environment
Environment Matters:
Early Learning and
Brain Development
Did you know that genetic traits account for about
half of our personality traits?
And growing up in the same house only accounts
for 10% of our personalities?
Look at page 45 for a story.
Early Brain Development
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Use it or lose it!
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Experience nurtures nature (????)
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Ex: I don’t remember science learned in the 5th grade, so
“no, in some cases I am not smarter than a 5th grader”.
Ex: If you roller blade in elementary school, but don’t
again until you are 21…you might have to re-learn.
Early experience is critical in brain
development (in order for us to reach our full
potential).
In later life continued use is necessary to
maintain neural connections in the brain.
Look at how much nurture can affect:
Examples from page 60:
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Rats house for 60 days in an enriched (fun,
stimulating) environment had brain weight
increases of 7-10% more than rats housed in
an impoverished (boring) environment.
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Premature babies who receive special handling
(touch, massage) grow more rapidly physically
and neurologically than preemies who do not
receive the same treatment.
What are
Feral Children?
How did their environment impact them?
How about their nature?
Environment Matters:
Peer Influence
Cultural Influence
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Peer influence in
adolescence is very
powerful.
Many studies suggest a
peer group is correlated
with school
performance, smoking,
and other behaviors.
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Ex: If your group of
friends doesn’t do
drugs… you probably
won’t either.
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Shared attitudes, beliefs,
norms and behaviors of
a group
Culture is
communicated from one
generation to the next
Influences our:
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Food selection, religious
choices, family activities,
etc.
Tend to think your
culture is the best.
Norms: What is Normal?
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Understood rules for accepted and
expected behavior
Consist of the “proper behavior” within a
group
So what the heck does normal mean, anyway?
Collectivism
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Giving priority to the goals
of one’s group over one’s
personal goals
Defining one’s identity in
terms of the group’s
identification rather than
personal attributes
See people as connected to
others
Individual needs are
sacrificed for the good of
the group.
Individualism
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Giving priority to one’s
goals over the goals of the
group
Defining one’s identity in
terms of personal attributes
rather than the group’s
identification
Tend to see people as
separate and independent