Topic 1.1 - Interaction of Heredity & Environment

Heredity

the genetic traits and tendencies a person inherits from their biological parents

Biological Predisposition

an inherited tendency that makes a trait or disorder more likely

Environment

all the outside influences and experiences that affect a person's development

Evolutionary Perspective

an approach that explains behavior by asking how it may have helped survival or reproduction

Natural Selection

the process where traits that improve survival or reproduction become more common over generations

Eugenics

a harmful movement that tried to control reproduction to supposedly improve the human population

Twin Studies

research that compares identical and fraternal twins to estimate genetic influence on traits

Monozygotic Twins

identical twins formed from one fertilized egg that splits into two embryo

Dizygotic Twins

fraternal twins formed from two different eggs fertilized by two different sperm cells

Genetic Influence

the effect that inherited genes have on traits, behaviors, or disorders

Family Studies

research that examines whether traits or disorders appear more often among relatives

Adoption Studies

research that compares adopted children with biological and adoptive relatives to separate genes from environment