jimtrue.com : school : PSY1012 : Chapter Three: Nature and Nurture

Posted by Jim True on January 23, 2006 5:20 PM. Last Updated October 22, 2006 9:23 PM

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Chapter Three: Nature and Nurture

Terms

• natural selection - the principle that among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.
• mutation - a random error in gene replication that leads to a change in the sequence of nuclotides; the source of genetic diversity.
• evolutionary psychology - the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection. Natural selection has favored genes that designed both behavioral tendencies and information-processing systems that solved adaptive problems faced by our ancestors, thus contributing to the survival and spread of their genes.
• gender - in psychology, the characteristics, whether biologically or socially influenced, by which people define male and female.
• behavior genetics - the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.
• environment - every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.
• identical twins - twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms.
• fraternal twins - twins who develop from separate eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment.
• temperament - a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.
• heritability - the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. The heritability of trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.
• interaction - the dependence of the effect of one factor (such as environment) on another factor (such as heredity).

In Class Discussion

In a hypothesis, the independent variable will never be the subjects themselves unless you're speaking of differences in population, ie gender

Evolutionary Psychology

Natural Selection - the principle that, among the rang of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.

Mutations - random errors in gene replication that lead to a change in the sequence of nucleotides.; the source of all genetic diversity.

Men preferred attractive physical features suggesting youth and health. Women preferred resources and social status. This was more common in highly industrialized areas.

Behavior Genetics

• Nature - Includes your "biology" - your genetics, your hormones, your brain chemistry
• Nurture - Includes all environmental influences that impact human development.
• Identical twins - develop from single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms. (monozygotic)
• Fraternal Twins - develop from separate eggs; genetically, no closer than brothers and sisters but they share the fetal environment (dizygotic).

Fraternal twins are no different than brothers and sisters. Study identical twins raised in different environments to determine the true basis of nature and nurture. Found identical twins are not that similar. Placenta and blood flow; identical twins may not be arranged the same within the placenta.

• temperament - a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity. How you respond on an emotional level to things that happen to you and how deeply you are affected by them. tends to be pretty stable over time. Really really intense life experiences may change this. Irritable child, parents may experience frustration and different treatment due to their temperament that their sibling may not experience. Temperament can be the factor that causes the change in the environment (nurture).
• heritability - proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied. Not within one person, but within a population (the differences) are inherited.

Parenting is not something that a parent does to a child; it is something that a parent and child do together.

Interaction - the dependence of one factor (such as environment) on another factor (such as heredity). Peers (friends) become an important influence on your development. Media, teachers, work all impact your development. Parents should not be so quick to take all the credit when children do well; nor should they take all the blame when children turn out the wrong way.

Environment Influence

• culture - enduring behaviors, ideas and traditions shared by a large group.
• norm - an understood rule for accepted and expected behavior.
• personal space - the buffer zone we like to maintain around our body. Six feet is the norm in US.

The Nature and Nurture of Gender

• gender role - set of expected behaviors for males and females. Learned first from our parents and then from our peers.
• gender identity - one's sense of being male or female. this is what we internalize from what we learn abour our roles.
• gender-typing - the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role. this is what we express and show as we grow.
• androgynous - both male and female characteristics or traits.
• social learning theory - theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished.
• gender schema theory - children learn from their cultures a concept of what it means to be male and female and that they adjust their behavior accordingly.

Disclaimer: These are MY notes taken from classroom lectures while I'm in the classroom. While I'm perfectly happy to share my notes with my classmates and I know I take very good notes, you should still make every effort to attend the class and TAKE YOUR OWN NOTES. I will not transcribe everything the instructor says in the classroom, and I will NEVER post pre-exam reviews. My notes will not replace the value of actually attending class and taking your own class notes.I also cannot attest to their accuracy, other than they are what was provided in the lecture; you should not reference my notes as "expert opionion" by any means, and if you notice an error or omission, please do me the favor of e-mailing me with the correction and I will re-post my notes. End of Disclaimer.