Heritability in Personality and Intelligence

These flashcards cover key concepts on the heritability of personality and intelligence, including definitions, formulas, and influencing factors.

What is heritability in the context of personality and intelligence?

Heritability is a statistical measure that expresses the proportion of observed variability in a trait that is a direct result of genetic variability.

What are the two main components that influence phenotype?

Genotype and environment.

How are identical twins conceived?

Identical twins are conceived during the same pregnancy, with only one sperm and one egg that split apart to form separate embryos.

What is the heritability estimate formula for personality traits?

The heritability estimate = (the correlation for MZ twins – the correlations for DZ twins) x 200.

What is the estimated heritability range for intelligence according to recent studies?

The heritability of intelligence ranges from 40% to 80%, with 50% being commonly accepted.

What is additive genetic variance?

Genetic variation in behavior, personality, or intelligence as a function of the individual’s genes inherited from parents.

What environmental factors can influence intelligence?

Biological variables, family, school and education, and culture.

What is the Flynn effect?

A rapid rise in average IQ in most western countries in recent decades, attributed to improvements in nutrition and healthcare.

What do shared environments refer to?

Common influences within a family that make children resemble each other, such as parental attitudes to education and parental income.

What is the correlation coefficient between family socioeconomic status and intelligence?

Correlations range between .3 and .4.