1. Nature vs. Nurture

2. Basic Genetics Everyone has 46 chromosomes:
23 from your mother
23 from your father
Chromosomes are made of DNA
All humans share almost all the same genes.
Differences are found between people normally, as well as in mutations, which are random “errors” in a person’s genes.

3. Chromosomes

4. Cellular Makeup

5. Cellular Makeup

6. Cellular Makeup

7. DEMONSTRATIONS
Draw a straight horizontal line on your paper. Then place your hand on the line so your ring finger just touches the line.
Does your index finger also touch the line, or is it shorter?
Interlock your fingers.
Is your right or left thumb on top?
These are both inherited traits.

8. Individual Differences
Researchers study heritability by studying twins.
Any trait where identical twins are more similar than fraternal twins indicates a higher degree of genetic influence.

9. Identical Twins
Twins who developed from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms
Called monozygotic twins

13. Fraternal Twins
Twins who developed from separate eggs; the are genetically no more similar than other siblings, but they share a fetal environment
Called dizygotic twins

16. Heritability The degree to which traits are inherited
The proportion of an individual’s characteristics that can be attributed to genetics (heredity)

17. ACTIVITY TIME
Find someone else in class that you do not know, or at least don’t know well.
Complete the activity.
You’ll differ in many ways, don’t worry about that. We’re just interested in whether you can find some similarities.

18. Adoption studies
Also, through adoption studies, we know that adopted kids have more similar personality traits to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents.
On the other hand, religious attitudes & behavior are more dependent on parenting.
Adopted kids score higher on IQ tests and are more involved in charities, etc. than their biological parents.

19. Environment DOES Matter
It’s NOT all on your parents, no matter what the TV says.
Early learning has an important impact on brain development.

20. Environment DOES Matter
Peers are often as important as parents when it comes to decisions such as smoking, styles, and peer interactions.
Parents are more important on issues of education, neatness, responsibility, interacting with authority figures, discipline, etc.

21. Culture is also a factor
Our culture is shared attitudes, beliefs, norms, and behaviors of a group.
Individualist cultures have people who give priority to their own goals over those of the group.
Health care debate
Gun laws
Collectivist cultures have more people making personal sacrifices for the good of the group.
Cultures have many differences, but they work in those cultures.

22. A few interesting cultural differences
Hissing is a polite way to show respect for superiors in Japan.
Men hold hands as a sign of friendship in Thailand.
In parts of Thailand, face-to-face conflict must be avoided at all costs, so you wouldn’t tell someone “Your house is on fire.” You would say, “Why don’t you go check on your house.”
In many cultures, heavier woman are the standard of beauty.
In India, guests leave food on their plate to indicate that the host was so generous, no one could possibly eat all the food.