1. Heredity and Environment
Lesson 6-4

2. Objectives
Give examples of the effects of heredity and environment on behavior
Summarize research on the effects of heredity and environment on behavior

3. Heredity and Environment
Is behavior instinctive?
Due to heredity
Is behavior learned?
Due to environment
Heredity- the genetic transmission of characteristics

4. Heredity and Environment
Inherited factors and environment work together.

5. Nature vs. Nurture Has been going on for centuries
Nature- what a person inherits
Nurture- refers to environment
Sir Francis Galton- Heredity Genius
Analyzed families
Found success ran in families

6. Heredity and Environment
John Watson- behavior psychologist
“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select- a doctor, lawyer, and yes, even beggerman and thief, regardless of his talents, tendencies, abilitities, and race of his ancestors.

7. Genes and Behavior
Genes are basic units of heredity

8. Twin Studies Study identical twins to see if a trait is inherited
Twins developed from a single fertilized egg
Share same genes
Fraternal Twins
Develop from two eggs
Same as brother and sister

9. Twin Studies Also study twins who were separated at birth
Despite different backgrounds, many share same common behaviors
Do well in math, trouble in spelling
Drinking patterns

10. Closure Research current articles about nature vs. nurture
Would you be in favor of being able to select the behavior characteristics of your children?