Nature/Nurture Introduction Genes Evolutionary Psych Behavior Genetics Natural Selection Behavior Genetics Twins Adoption Temperament Heritability Gene-Environment Molecular Genetics

Continued... Environmental Gender Parents Prenatal Brain Development Peers Culture Gender

Objectives Describe the composition & physical location og genes Discuss the impact of evolutionary history on genetically predisposed behavior tendencies Identify gender differences in sexual behavior & describe & evaluate evolutionary explanations for those differences Describe how twin & adoption studies help us differentiate hereditary & environmental influences on human traits Discuss how differences in infant temperament illustrate the effect of heredity on development Describe how behavior geneticists estimate trait heritability, & discuss the interaction of genetic & environmental influences

Discuss the potential promise & perils of molecular genetics Explain why we should be cautious about attributing children’s successes & failure to parental influence Explain how twins may experience different prenatal environments, & describe the effect of experience on brain development Describe how development is influenced by the individual’s peer group & culture Explain how biological sex is determined, & describe the role of sex hormones in biological development & gender differences Discuss the importance of gender roles, & explain how social & cognitive factors contribute to gender identity & gender-typing Discuss the danger of blaming nature & nurture for our own personal feelings

Introduction What makes you you??? Psychologists generally believe that both contribute What do you think? Why does this chapter follow neuroscience and precede human development? We are similar, yet different.

Genes: Biological Blueprint Predisposed Terms - DNA, chromosomes, genes Would you want to know what diseases you may have later in life? Pregnancy – would you test for genetic defects? What do you think about employers using genetic testing as a means to hire? Human genome project

Evolutionary Psych Explaining Universal Behaviors To answer the why of behavior Many misconceptions Example: Why do children resist going to bed at night? It is dark, and hunters and gatherers know that it is dangerous to be alone in the dark. Present-day h-g believe it is child abuse. There is no protest in cultures where children sleep with adults. Timothy Miller’s How to Want What You Have

Continued… Natural Selection (H.O. for discussion) Critics “gene-producing machines” Women – 25 is limit, males is limitless Mate selection and traits Coolidge Effect Critics Starts with effect Stereotypes Not hard-wired Universal? *Again, it contributes to our understanding!

Behavior Genetics Explaining Individual Differences Twin Studies By chance??? (H.O.) 2001 follow up Adoption Studies Why are children in some families so different? Birth order? Or other? Temperament Studies EAS Survey Activity, emotionality, sociability

Gene – Environment Interaction Molecular Genetics Heritability Fly Away Home movie Gene – Environment Interaction Molecular Genetics Many possibilities Many questions Ethics

Environmental Influence Parents Prenatal Experience & Brain Development Peers Culture Variation Child-rearing

Gender Nature Nurture - discussion X & Y chromosome Kleinfelter’s syndrome – males additional X Turner’s - females only 1 x Double Y – males extra y, prison study Fragile X – about to break Brain differences Nurture - discussion Gender roles – norms Gender identity – sense Gender-typed – traditional Social learning theory – observe & imitate, reward & punishment Gender schema theory – cognition, concepts, language

Your thoughts???