Exam 2 Pyschology - Genetics

Evolutionary Psychology

David Buss studied 10,047 people across 37 cultures to explore human similarities.

It has been used to explain sex differences in human mating behavior. it is the primary area of study in attraction.

Females: High parental investment, what traits do females report to look for

According to evolutionary psychological models, females have greater parental investment than males. Females need a male partner who has, and will share, resources. This will lead to differences in what males and females find “attractive”. Females report to look for economic resources, age and height.

Economic Resources that women look for evidence and why

Cross-culturally females think financial prospects/status are more important than for males, particulary important for long term mate.

This is because money equals resources to help with pregnancy and raising of children.

Age of men women look for

Cross-culturally, females date and marry males who are older.

Evolutionary perspective: status and wealth increase with age.

Women look for men with Height:

Evidence: women rated tall and strong as desirable.

Evolutionary Perspective: Height equals protection and status.

How do we study genetic influences on behavior?

we do this through animal studies, the breeding traits, alteration of physiological processes, comparative psychology(observational studies)

The Vervet Monkeys

they showed that on average the male animals spent more time with males toys and the same thing with the girls.

Human Twin studies: Ex. introversion

to study introversion you give them a quiz. They like people but they just dont’ like a lot of people all at once. they like lots of alone time.

Frequency Distribution:

Heritability

the proportion of variation across the population that we can attribute to genes.

The amount of differences in a trait among people that can be explained by genetic differences.

why do we need introversion and genetic variability?

51 percent of the variability in the populations introversion scores is due to genetic factors.

1. Why do we need introversion in the gene pool?

Introversion is useful because people have different strengths. Introverted people may be more thoughtful, observant, and comfortable working independently. These differences help a population have a variety of skills.

2. Why is genetic variability a good thing?

Genetic variability means people have different genes and traits. This is good because it helps a population adapt to changes and survive diseases or environmental changes.

Identical and Fraternal twins share in genes and introversion

• Identical twins: Share almost 100% of their genes. If their introversion scores are similar, there is a strong positive correlation.

• Fraternal twins: Share about 50% of their genes on average. Their introversion scores may be less similar.

• Conclusion: Genes may play a role in whether someone is introverted or extroverted.

Important: Genes aren't the only factor. Environment and life experiences also influence personality.

Examples of Heritability

Political attitudes: 53%, Positive Emotion:60%, Negative Emotion: 60%, Job Satisfaction: 30%, Attitudes toward alcohol:50%, Agressiveness:50%, Persistence:40%, Sociability:45%, Academic Achievement:40%, Vocational Interests:42%

Heritability of Psychological Disorders

Bipolar 1 Disorder:.86, Schizophrenia: .63, Alcoholism .54, Major Depression .45, Bulimia .04

overall bulimia much more influenced by environment then gentically like anorexia.

Longitudinal Temperament Studies

It is a study that follows the same people over a long period of time.

Infants: Babies who react strongly to new things may be more likely to become introverted. Such as when they gave these babies a bottle and changed there level of sugar in the food the babies who had freaked out 15 years later had a much higher introverted scores. Among these kids that they had brought to the lab some of those kids had a higher frontal lobe activity, frontal lobe spike, these kids were much more likely to be depressed at 26. Starts when you are an infant these issues. Genetics and temperament(persons natural way of reacting to things) influence behavior, but they don't determine someone's future. Parents, peers, and experiences also matter.Temperament can begin in infancy and may influence personality later in life.

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate over whether our behavior comes from our genes (nature) or our environment and experiences (nurture).

• Nature: What you inherit from your parents, like genes.

• Nurture: How you are raised and influenced by family, friends, and life experiences.

Example: Introversion may be influenced by both your genes (nature) and how you grow up (nurture).

Its always nature and nurture, your enviornment and genes are always together.

Clinical Example: Conduct Disorder

Behavioral Disorder of Childhood that occurs at the average age of 10 years old. Associated with aggressive and antisocial behavior, including: Animal cruelty, stealing, and gangs.

Conduct Disorder: Genetic and Environmental Influences:

Environmental: History of maltreatment

Genetic: Monoamine oxidase A (MAO A) activity.

MAO A metabolizes neurotransmitters such as Norepinephrine, Serotonin and Dopamine.

• Low MAO-A activity: Neurotransmitters may build up because they are broken down more slowly, potentially affecting brain pathways.

• Genetics: People naturally differ in their MAO-A activity.

• Childhood abuse: Children who experience abuse or maltreatment and have low MAO-A activity may have a higher risk of aggressive behavior.

• Gene-environment interaction: Low MAO-A activity + childhood maltreatment = increased risk of aggression.

Child’s behavior and parents response are connected.

Probability of Having Aggressive Issues

Maltreated: Yes, 40% high , 80% low MAO Activity

Maltreated: No, 20% high, 20 % low MAO Activity

your body produces or uses less of the monoamine oxidase A enzyme, which is responsible for breaking down important brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

The conclusion is that maltreatment combined with low MAO-A activity is associated with a higher risk of developing aggressive or antisocial behavior.

• Low MAO-A activity: Neurotransmitters may build up because they are broken down more slowly, potentially affecting brain pathways.

Key Take Aways for Nature vs. Nurture

• Numerous psychological traits (e.g., personality) are inherited

• There is no real nature-nurture argument: It’s both working together

2- Dimensional classification of parenting patterns

Authoritative — Demanding + Accepting

Authoritarian — Demanding + Rejecting

Indulgent — Undemanding + Accepting

Neglecting — Undemanding + Rejecting

Parenting style	Meaning + example
Authoritative — Demanding + Accepting	Sets rules but is warm and supportive. Example: A parent sets a curfew and listens to their child's feelings.
Authoritarian — Demanding + Rejecting	Strict rules, little warmth, expects obedience. Example: “Because I said so! No arguing.”
Indulgent — Undemanding + Accepting	Loving and supportive but sets few rules. Example: A parent lets their child stay up as late as they want.
Neglecting — Undemanding + Rejecting	Few rules and little warmth or involvement. Example: A parent rarely checks on their child or provides guidance.

Roles of Parents vs. Peers

Parents: values, self-discipline, faith, politics, manners, charity, authority.

Peers: Risk behaviors and cooperation.

What about siblings?

siblings play a much larger role than you thought in influencing kids outcomes, two siblings are no more alike than two people randomly selected from the population or two siblings can be just as different from each other as two random people in the population.

Theory 1: Competition for Resources - 4 theories of sibling differences

Resources are scarce in families, so you need to get your parents attention, being different is a way to do this. Being different is a way to shine in their parents eyes.

Theory 2: Social Comparison- 4 theories of sibling differences Upward social comparison and downward social comparson

means that we compare ourselves to other people, including our siblings, to feel better about ourselves and maintain our self-esteem.

There are two types:

• Upward social comparison: Comparing yourself to someone you think is better than you at something. For example, your sister gets better grades than you, so you might feel less accomplished.

• Downward social comparison: Comparing yourself to someone you think is worse than you at something. For example, you get a better grade than your sister, so you feel more intelligent or accomplished.

How does this apply to siblings?

We might focus on the ways we are better or different from our siblings to feel more important or successful. For example, if your brother is good at math but you're better at sports, you might emphasize your athletic abilities to feel good about yourself.

Easy way to remember for your exam: We compare ourselves to others, especially our siblings, to protect or improve our self-esteem by focusing on how we measure up to them.

Theory 3: Parental Comparison - 4 theories of sibling difference

Parents compare their children to each other instead of to the general population. For example, both children might be more extroverted than average, but if one is more outgoing than the other, parents may label one “the extrovert” and the other “the introvert.” The child labeled “the introvert” may start believing they are introverted because that is what their parents have told them, even though they are actually more extroverted than most people.

Theory 4: Non-shared environments - 4 theories of sibling differences

Even siblings raised in the same family can have different experiences that shape their personalities.

• Example: If parents divorce when the older sibling is 12 and the younger sibling is 3, the older child may understand the divorce and feel more affected by it, while the younger child may not fully understand what is happening.

• Peers: Siblings also have different friends, classmates, and social groups, which influence their personalities and behavior differently.

Key idea: Even though siblings share the same home and parents, their unique experiences help make them different people.

Role of Culture and Gender

Adults often treat children differently based on whether they think the child is a boy or a girl. For example, when adults are given a baby girl dressed as a boy, they may encourage the baby to play with trucks instead of dolls because they believe the baby is a boy.

Key idea: Culture teaches us what toys, behaviors, and interests are considered appropriate for boys versus girls, influencing how children develop gender preferences.

2 Theories of gender role acquisition- Social Learning Theory

we learn social behavior by observing and imitating, being rewarded or punished

Imitation: Children learn by watching and copying the people around them. They are more likely to repeat behaviors that get positive reactions or rewards.

Example: If Josh dresses up like a boy and his grandparents think it’s cute and praise him, he may do it again. If he dresses up like a girl and gets no positive reaction, he may be less likely to repeat that behavior.

Key idea: Children imitate others and repeat behaviors that are rewarded by their environment.

2 Theories of gender role acquisition- Gender Schema Theory why do kids love to draw and make art and play?

1. Kids love to draw and make art and they play. Why are they so interested in playing? They are forming concepts, articulating their understanding of the world. Drawing pictures of mom next to kids, intimacy connection, emotional care taking role, art making process is the way of articulating our understanding, gender schema theory.Children are thinkers who try to understand why boys and girls seem different. They observe the world around them and form ideas about what is considered masculine or feminine. These ideas influence how they behave and what they think boys and girls should do.

   Example: A child notices that their mom provides emotional care and draws pictures of moms taking care of children. Through drawing and play, the child expresses their understanding of gender roles.

   Key idea: Children learn gender roles from their environment and use those ideas to understand the world. This is the nurture side because culture and experiences help shape their understanding of gender.