INTRODUCTION

Behaviour genetics is the field that seeks to discover the influence of heredity and
environment on individual differences in human traits and development. It does not
determine the extent to which genetics or the environment affects an individuals traits.
Instead, what behaviour geneticists try to do is to figure out what is responsible for the
differences among people, that is, to what extent do people differ because of differences in
genes, environment, or a combination of these (Silberg, Maes, & Eaves, 2010).
Every individual on this earth is different from the other. No one person is fully like other
person. Every person differs from the other, either physically or psychologically. This
applies to twins as well. They differ in some aspects or other. Particularly, when we look at
people from psychological point of view these differences become quite obvious. In many
instances even the children differ from their parents. They may have some similarities with
some forefathers or grandparents instead of their parents.
Now, what makes these differences exist? What are the causes? The answer to these queries
can be traced from two factors; heredity and environment.
1. Heredity:
Heredity refers to the genetic inheritance received by every individual at the time of
conception. The origin of every human life can be traced to a single cell called zygote,
which is formed by the union of sperm and ovum.
The sperm and ovum will contain 23 pairs of chromosomes out of which one will be sex
determining chromosome. Female will have 23 pairs of XX chromosomes. Male will have
22 pairs of XX and 2 single, represented as XY. X chromosome from mother and Y
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chromosome from father will lead to male offspring, XX from both parents give rise to
female. In each chromosome there are innumerable genes.
These genes are the real determiners of hereditary characteristics, which pass on from one
generation to the other. At the time of conception, the genes from chromosomes of both the
father and the mother fuse together and determine the traits of the offspring to be born.
The physical characteristics such as height, weight, colour of eye and skin, social and
intellectual behaviour are determined by heredity. Differences in these characteristics are
due to the change in the genes transmitted. Fraternal twins also differ from each other,
because they are born out of different genes. However, we find more resemblances in
identical twins because they are created out of a single zygote.
2. Environment:
In simple terms environment means the society, the fields of society and even the whole
world. But here, the word environment is restricted to mean the environment within
mothers womb and just born, as well as the environment around the individual.
Like heredity, environment also has been found to play a very important role in determining
the behaviour and personality development of an individual. The environmental influences
are those which act upon the organism at the earlier stages of development, i.e., before and
after birth.
Environment includes all the extrinsic forces, influences and conditions which affect the
life, nature, behaviour, the growth, development and maturation of living organism
(Douglass and Holland).

Hence, we can say that environment means all that is found around the individual. Though
the life begins with single cell, in the process of cell division several new cells are formed
and a new internal environment comes into existence.
As the foetus develops the endocrine glands are formed. The hormonal secretion by these
glands gives rise to another intracellular environment. Hormones are necessary for normal
development, but defects in hormone secretion like over or under secretion may lead to
congenital deformities.
The growing embryo is surrounded by amniotic fluid in the uterus which creates another
environment. This fluid will provide the necessary warmth and protection against the
dangers due to other organisms and other chemical effects on foetus.
The foetus is also connected to the mother by the umbilical cord, through which the
nourishment is supplied. Sufficient nourishment is necessary from the mother. Otherwise the
child will suffer from malnutrition. The defects in mother like drug or alcohol addiction,
smoking, malnutrition, diabetes, endocrinal disturbances, small uterus and such other
problems cause many problems in child.
The psychological state of mother like over excitement, depression also may cause
damaging effect on the child as these affect nutrition and hormonal changes within her.
After nine months, the child is born and enters a new environment which is entirely
different. This new environment will have a different culture, ideology, values, etc.
The home atmosphere, parental love and affection, association with sibling, neighbours,
peers, teachers, etc. will create an entirely different and new atmosphere. This is called
social environment. All the social factors stated above shape the personality of the child.

There is a long standing controversy regarding the importance of heredity and environment.
Supporters of heredity say that the environment cannot change a dog into a goat. On the
other hand, the environmentalists are of the opinion that for the development of a plant seed
only is not sufficient, but environmental factors like sunlight, manure, water, etc are
required.
Innumerable studies have been conducted on both sides. However, the results indicate that
heredity and environment are interdependent forces. Whatever the heredity supplies, the
favourable environment brings it out. Personality characteristics attained by heredity are
shaped by environment.
Behaviour geneticist Sandra Scarr (1993) described three ways that heredity and
environment are correlated:
Passive genotype-environment correlations occur because biological parents, who are
genetically related to the child, provide a rearing environment for the child. For
example, the parents might have a genetic predisposition to be intelligent and read
skilfully. Because they read well and enjoy reading, they provide their children with
books to read. The likely outcome is that their children, given their own inherited
predispositions from their parents and their book-filled environment, will become
skilled readers.
Evocative genotype-environment correlations occur because a childs characteristics
elicit certain types of environments. For example, active, smiling children receive
more social stimulation than passive, quiet children do. Cooperative, attentive children
evoke more pleasant and instructional responses from the adults around them than
uncooperative, distractible children do.

 Active (niche-picking) genotype-environment correlations occur when children seek

out environments that they find compatible and stimulating. Niche-picking refers to
finding a setting that is suited to ones abilities. Children select from their surrounding
environment some aspect that they respond to, learn about, or ignore. Their active
selections of environments are related to their particular genotype. For example,
outgoing children tend to seek out social contexts in which to interact with people,
whereas shy children dont. Children who are musically inclined are likely to select
musical environments in which they can successfully perform their skills. How these
tendencies come about will be discussed shortly under the topic of the epigenetic
view
Environmental Influences
Evidence for environmental influences on intelligence comes from the following
observations:
Adoption studies demonstrate that adopted children show some similarity in IQ to their
adoptive parents.
Adoption studies also show that siblings reared together are more similar in IQ than
siblings reared apart. This is true even when identical twins reared together are
compared to identical twins reared apart.
Biologically unrelated children raised together in the same home have some similarity
in IQ.
IQ declines over time in children raised in deprived environments, such as
understaffed orphanages or circumstances of poverty and isolation. Conversely, IQ
improves in children who leave deprived environments and enter enriched
environments.

 Peoples performance on IQ tests has improved over time in industrialized countries.

This strange phenomenon, which is known as the Flynn effect, is attributed to
environmental influences. It cannot be due to heredity, because the worlds gene pool
could not have changed in the seventy years or so since IQ testing began.
Possible Causes of the Flynn Effect
The precise cause for the Flynn effect is unclear. Researchers speculate that it may be due to
environmental factors such as decreased prevalence of severe malnutrition among children,
enhancing of skills through television and video games, improved schools, smaller family
sizes, higher level of parental education, or improvements in parenting.
Cultural and Ethnic Differences
Studies have shown a discrepancy in average IQ scores between whites and minority groups
in the United States. Black, Native American, and Hispanic people score lower, on average,
than white people on standardized IQ tests. Controversy exists about whether this difference
is due to heredity or environment.
Hereditary Explanations
A few well-known proponents support hereditary explanations for cultural and ethnic
differences in IQ:
In the late 1960s, researcher Arthur Jensen created a storm of controversy by
proposing that ethnic differences in intelligence are due to heredity. He based his
argument on his own estimate of about 80 percent heritability for intelligence.
In the 1990s, researchers Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray created a similar
controversy with their book, The Bell Curve. They also suggested that intelligence is

largely inherited and that heredity at least partly contributes to ethnic and cultural
differences.
Environmental Explanations
Many researchers believe that environmental factors primarily cause cultural and ethnic
differences. They argue that because of a history of discrimination, minority groups
comprise a disproportionately large part of the lower social classes, and therefore cultural
and ethnic differences in intelligence are really differences among social classes. People in
lower social classes have a relatively deprived environment. Children may have:

Fewer learning resources

Less privacy for study
Less parental assistance
Poorer role models
Lower-quality schools
Less motivation to excel intellectually

Some researchers argue that IQ tests are biased against minority groups and thus cause the
apparent cultural and ethnic differences.
However, not all minority groups score lower than whites on IQ tests. Asian Americans
achieve a slightly higher IQ score, on average, than whites, and they also show better school
performance. Researchers suggest that this difference is due to Asian American cultural
values that encourage educational achievement.
Conclusion
The above discussion clearly shows that there is a strong influence to human behaviour by
both heredity and environment of an individual. It also shows that there is a good correlation
between the two. Though, each of them has different extent on behaviour.
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REFERENCES
Intelligence: The Influence of Heredity and Environment. Retrieved October 9th, 2014 From
http://www.sparknotes.com/psychology/psych101/intelligence/section3
.html
Effects of Heredity and Environment on our Personality. Retrieved October 9th, 2014 From
http://www.psychologydiscussion.net/essays/effects-of-heredity-and-environment-onour-personality/546
Heredity and Environment Interaction: The Nature-Nurture Debate. Retrieved October 8 th,
2014 From https://www.inkling.com/read/lifespan-development-john-w-santrock13th/chapter-2/heredity-and-environment