MY GENES MADE ME

DO IT?
THE GENETICS OF BEHAVIOR
To what extent does genetic
inheritance influence behavior?

 We want that there is a genetic link

to behavior because it would be an
easy explanation for things like
homosexuality, criminality, and
addiction.
My Genes Made Me Do It

 Very few diseases have been linked to a single

gene- Huntington’s Disease.
 Most researchers no longer believe a
single of gene is implicated in any
behavior.
 Human behavior is so complex that simple
explanations are not possible.
My Genes Made Me Do It

 Physical Traits
 Purely Genetic (eye color)
 Some Environmental Influence (height)
 Combination of Genetic Disposition and Behavior (obesity)

 Illnesses
 Purely Genetic (Huntington’s Disease)
 Some Environmental Influence (breast
cancer, heart disease, schizophrenia, bipolar)
My Genes Made Me Do It

Alcoholism
Obesity
Behavioral Genetics

 Behavioral Genetics
 Examines the role between behavior and
genetics.
 Study the inheritance of behavioral traits.
 Use twin and adoption studies.
 Calculate the heritability statistic which shows
what percentage of a trait is due to genetic
inheritance.
HOW
DO WE
INHERIT
TRAITS?
HOW DO WE INHERIT TRAITS?
Example
of
crossing
concordance
 Behavioral Genetics
 IQ - 20% to 80%
 Alcoholism (men)- 30% to 98%
 Autism - 90% to 95%
 Bipolar Disorder - 60% to 80%
 Schizophrenia - 40% to 90%
 Divorce/Marital Success 55%
 Height (women) 92%
 Weight (women) 42%
 Behavioral Genetics: Criticisms
 Heritability figures vary from study to study.
 Problems with Adoption Studies- People tend to be
adopted by relatives.
 Problems with Twin Studies- Identical twins tend to be
treated the same.
 Power of expectations (alcoholism)
 “learned helplessness”
The important aspects of gene expression

 Complex Behavior is either:

 Oligogenic- few genes are involved in behavior
 Polygenic- meaning there are a large number of genes involved
in behavior.
 Gene Expression
 We do not inherit genes. We inherit DNA strands that
come on chromosomes.
 Chromosome contain many genes.
 Genes are portions of DNA sequences that code for
protein synthesis; this is how we get behavior.
 An allele is a variation of a gene and can be either long or
short.
 Gene Expression

 Why do we care?
 Genes do not affect behavior unless they become templates or
master patterns for proteins.
 This happens through either transcription or translation.
 Why do we care?
 Two kinds of cells relevant to psychology are those that
make up neurons and endocrine glands.
 Much of our behavior is related to neurotransmitters and
hormones.
 Research is showing how specific environmental
experiences affect the transcription process.
 Three ways genes and the
environment become correlated
 Passive gene-environment correlation:
 Aggression in Children
 Parents contribute genes and provide an environment for the
child.
 Aggressive behavior is not dependent on anything the child
does, but is a result both inherited genes and inherited
environment.
 Active gene-environment correlation:
 Child selects certain environments which are
conducive to the behavior.
 Evocative gene-environment correlation:
 Child creates their own environment by
encouraging abusive/aggressive behavior.
 Why is it Challenging to Study
Genetic Contributions to Behavior?
 We cannot directly study genes and how they combine
with other genes and the environment.
 Most examples about genetic influence come from
researching abnormal behavior.
 Genes, Environment, and Depression
 Everyone experiences stressors.
 As the amount of stress rises the risk for depression increases.
 People with two short alleles (s/s) have an even greater risk.
 The risk goes down if a person has two long alleles (l/l).
 Possessing two long alleles is correlated with resilience to
depression.