Exam 2 230

Genome

Complete set of genes that an organism has

Human Genome Project

Purpose: identity the sequence of DNA molecules in the human species

(DID NOT IDENTIFY THE FUNCTION OF EACH MOLECULE)

Are genomes similar for all humans

yes, that’s why we all have 2 eyes, 10 fingers, 2 legs

Genetic Junk

Genes that were believed to be ¨junk¨ because they sever no function or purpose

Controversy about genes and personality

• highly controversial

• Ideological concern’ undermine the environment, parental choice and would cause the use or misuse in political and social context

• Revival of eugenics’

Eugenic

When future human species can be designed with certain traits and behavior

Behavioral Genetics

How genes and environmental factors interact with each other to produce individual differences

Heritability

The proportion of observed variance in a group of individuals that is due to genetic differences

• NOT applied to a single person only to a GROUP OR POPULATION

• Heritability is not constant

Phenotypic Variance

Observable individual differences

Ex: height, weights, or personality

Genotypic Variance

individual differences in the TOTAL COLLECTION of genes possessed by each person

Environmentality

Observed variance in a group of individual caused by environmental factors

Selective Breeding

Intentionally breed organisms to obtain desirable traits

• can only occur with is the desired trait is heritable

• Only in human not humans

Family studies

• The degree of genetic relatedness amount family member with the degree of similarity in personality

• Family members with a greater genetic relatedness are more similar to one another (mother—child)

• Show genetics infleunce

• Limitation; may not be due to genetic differences but because they come from a shared environment

Twin Studies

Uses monozygotic twin (identical) and Dizygotic twin (fraternal) to estimate heritability

• MZ twins are more similar to DZ showing evidence of heritability

• Equal environment assumptions

Adoption Studies

Compares adoptive children with adoptive and biological parents

• Similarities between adoptive children and adopative parents show environmental influences

• similarities between adoptive children and biological parents show genetic influence

Limitation:

What is heritable

Personality: Exterversion, agreeable, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience

Sexual ordination:fall in the scope of personality so evidence shows that genes influence adult sexual orientation

what attitudes and preferences are heritable and not

Heritable: Some attitudes like traditionalism and genes infleucen occupational preferences

Not heritable: Religious belief

physiological measure in personality research

• Electrodermal activity (skin conductance)

• cardiovascular activity

• brain activity

• other: blood and saliva analyses

electrodermal activity (skin conductance)

• measured using electrodes or sensors placed on the skin

  Advantages: noninvasive; no discomfort

  limitations: movement is constrained

skin conductance increases because of

increases sweat and arousal

• can be measure with stimuli

• iid a person shows skin conductance without stimulus it means the person might have anxiety and neuroticism

measure of Cardiovascular Activity

• Blood pressure

• Heart rate

Cardiac reactivity

• when you heart rate and blood pressure increase when performing a task like backwards math

Type A personality

Trait where a person is impulsive, hostile, and competitive

• Causes them to have stronger cardiac activity then normal

• associated with coronary artery disease

Brain Activity

techniques that map the structure and function of the brain

• PET

• fRMI

Technique that measure amount of electricity in the brain

• EEG: Places electrodes on the scalp and is given a stimulus and researcher assess the brain activity in response to the stimulus

extraversion- introversion

• measured using eysencks personality questionnaire

• Introverts have a higher levels of activity in the ARAS making them more sensitive to stimulation which is why they avoid stimulation

• The difference between introverts and extraverts is not in baseline/resting arousal.

• It’s in their arousability — how reactive or sensitive they are to stimulation.

📌 Simple Example:

Imagine two people in a quiet room — both calm.

• Turn on loud music.

  • Introvert’s brain reacts a lot → feels overwhelmed quickly.

  • Extravert’s brain doesn’t react as much → may even enjoy it.

what is a component that causes heart disease

• hostility

Gray theory two brain systems

• Behavioral activation system (BAS)

• behavioral inhibition system (BIS)

BAS

• Sensitive to rewards

• regulates Approach behavior

• produces impulsivity/extraversion

BIS

• sensitive to punishment

• regulates avoidance behavior

• produces anxiety / Neuroticism

sensation to punishment and rewards

• Rewards → leads to impulsivity (BAS).

• Punishments → leads to anxiety (BIS).

which brain system is associated with low dopamine

• BAS

Sensation seeking

• Zuckermans theory

• tendency to seek thrills, exciting activities, avoid boredom

• High sensation seekers —> need more stimulation

Zuckerman theory

• High sensation seeks are less tolerant to sensory deprivations

• sensation seekers need more stimulus to achieve optimal level or arousal

• strong correlation between extroversion and sensation seeking

Physiological reason for sensation seeking

• Neurotransmitter: cells responsible for transmission of nerve impluse to other cells

• Monoamine Oxidase (MAO): Maintain the proper level of neurotransmitter

  too little MAO —> excessive amount of NT in synapse

  too much MAO —> little amount of NT in synapse

• High sensation seek shave LOW LEVEL OF MAO which produces there need for stimulation

Tridimensional Personality Model

Cloningers theory about dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine

• Novelity seeking - low dopamine

• harm avoidance - low serotonin

• reward dependence- low norepinephrine

Reward Dependence

People low in norepinephrine are more dependent on approval and social rewards.

Reward dependence —> low norepinephrine

Biological rhythms

— regular cycles that happen over time in your body

ex: circadian rhythms

Circadian Rhythms

• 24 hour cycles that occur daily like sleep-wake cycle

• Individuals with short circadian rhythms —> Morning people

• long circadian rhythms —> Evening people

Morningness - Eveningness

• when being a morning person and evening person is a stable characteristic

Gleen

supported eysencks theory that introverts are more sensitive to stimulation by testing how extraverts and introverts respond to different levels of stimulation (specifically, noise) during a learning task.

1. Extraverts performed better with noise levels

2. Introvert performed better with quieter noise levels.

Darwin came up with what

was a evolutionist who cam e up with the ice of NATURAL SELECTION

Natural selection

process which adaptations are created and changed over time

• successful variants are selected and unsuccessful variants are weeded out, over time successful variants characterize the entire species

adaptations

inherited traits that help survive and reproduce against hostile forces of nature

sexual selection

features that enhance individuals mating success 

ex: peacocks feather, deer antlers

Intersexual sexual

One sex is able to choice a mate that has there desired qualities

ex: bird showing its ability to build a nest

intersexual selection

members of one sexx compete with each other for access to mate

Inclusive fitness

• making sure of your own reproductive success (your offspring) but also ensuring the survival of your genetic relatives

  ex: Helping your sibling raise their kids means your shared genes are more likely to survive.

Adaptive problem

Anything that impedes survival or reproduction

Human nature is a

product of evolutionary process

Levels of human nature

• need to belong

• Helping and altruism

• universal emotions

sex differences in aggression

• Males are more physically aggressive.

• This is linked to intrasexual competition (competing with other males for mates).

• Aggression may have helped secure resources or mates in ancestral times.

sex differences in mates

• Women prefer partners with resources, status, and commitment (help raise offspring).

• Men prefer partners with youth and physical attractiveness (indicators of fertility).

sex differences in jealousy

• Men tend to be more upset by sexual infidelity (fear of paternity uncertainty).

• Women tend to be more upset by emotional infidelity (fear of partner redirecting resources/love).

explanation for individual differences

• Environmental Triggers
  – Traits develop in response to early experiences.
  (e.g., harsh environment → earlier sexual development)

• Heritable Differences Linked to Other Traits
  – Some traits are tied to other selected traits.
  (e.g., boldness linked to risk-taking)

• Frequency-Dependent Strategies
  – A trait is useful when rare, but less so when common.
  (e.g., being a cheater works until too many people do it)

• Variation Across Time/Places
  – The “best” version of a trait may change based on culture or environment.
  (e.g., being shy might be good in one setting, bad in another)

Big five factor and adaptive problems

Evolutionary psychologists think the Big Five personality traits may reflect solutions to recurring social challenges:

Big Five Trait	Adaptive Purpose
Extraversion	Gaining social status, attracting mates
Agreeableness	Maintaining social bonds, avoiding conflict
Conscientiousness	Planning, reliability, gaining trust
Neuroticism	Vigilance to threats (but too much = stress)
Openness to Experience	Creativity, problem-solving, adapting to new challenges

limitations of evolutionary psychology

• We can’t directly observe ancestral environments.

  • We rely on current clues to guess what traits were adaptive.

• Modern world is very different from the past.

  • What helped us survive then might not help now.

• Multiple competing explanations are possible.

  • It can be hard to prove which theory is correct.

• Critics say it can’t always be tested.

  • But evolutionary psychologists argue their hypotheses are testable, just like other sciences.

In life - death situation which factor predicts helping behavior

• the AGE of the individual who needs help