Mods 14 & 15 Vocab - Yonna H.

Behavior Genetics

The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

Heredity

The passing on of physical or mental characteristics genetically from one generation to another.

Environment

Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.

Chromosomes

Threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes.

DNA

(deoxyribonucleic acid) A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.

Genes

The biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; a segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein.

Genome

The complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes.

Identical Twins (monozygotic)

Twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms.

Fraternal Twins (dizygotic)

Twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs; no genetically closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment.

Nature vs. Nurture

Name for a controversy in which it is debated whether genetics or environment is responsible for driving behavior.

Heritability

The proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. The heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.

Gene-Environment Interaction

The interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity).

Molecular Genetics

The subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes.

Molecular Behavior Genetics

The study of how the structure and function of genes interact with our environment to influence behavior.

Epigenetics

The study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change.

Evolutionary Psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.

Natural Selection

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.

Mutations

Random errors in gene replication that lead to a change in the sequence of nucleotides. The source of all genetic diversity.

Social Scripts

Culturally provided mental instructions for how to act in various situations.

Biopsychosocial Model

Perspective in which abnormal behavior is seen as the result of the combined and interacting forces of biological, psychological, social, and cultural influences.