OUTLINE Modules 32 35 NATURE VS NURTURE NATURE GENES on behavior 1 Evolutionary psychology we are the same 2 Behavior Genetics we are different GENDER differences 1 How much nature vs how much nurture NURTURE EXPERIENCE on behavior 1 Early environment 2 Parents 3 Peers 4 Culture EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY Why are people so similar What is it Explain human behavior traits by examining the long term reproductive dis advantages of said traits and behaviors Any TWO humans will have 1 2 genetic variation 99 5 similarity Key Questions 1 People appear really different Why then does the human genome display so little variability 2 Why do we have so much in common 3 If this is true then shouldn t we observe differences in people related to the different environmental pressures they face EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY Gender Differences in Reproductive Behavior Fact Men and women differ in their willingness to engage in sexual activity Men are less concerned about having multiple partners knowing their partner really well their partner s level of commitment Don t believe me Evidence Male college students are more likely to think it s okay to sleep with a stranger 50 of college males say yes when propositioned by a stranger almost 0 women do Men quicker to interpret attention as sexual intent How does Evolutionary Psych explain those findings 1 Women have way fewer opportunities to bear offspring Need to be picky in choosing a mate Wealth status and power will protect the child promotes her genes 2 Men can have a thousand kids if they wanted to If one partner turns out bad lots of other Want to have as many kids as possible to promote Wants to find really fertile women young opportunities his genes attractive Problems with Evolutionary Psychology 1 Data are correlational 2 Just so stories and backward reasoning you can make the theories work with the data 3 There are variations in human behavior BEHAVIOR GENETICS Why are people so DIFFERENT What is it An approach to understanding the extent to which behavior trait differences can be attributed to genetic differences 3 ways behavior geneticists do this 1 Twins raised together 1 Twins raised apart 2 Adoption studies BEHAVIOR GENETICS TWIN STUDIES raised together How is this done Researchers compare the similarities between Identical twins 100 same genetic make up Fraternal twins genetic similarity of siblings Vs reared together General Findings Identical twins are much more similar to each other than fraternal twins Possible problems 1 Are identical twins raised more similarly than fraternal twins e g same environment BEHAVIOR GENETICS TWIN STUDIES raised apart How is this done Researchers compare the similarities between Identical twins reared apart General Findings Identical twins raised in separate homes are remarkably similar to each other Possible Problems 1 Never mention the differences how many are there 2 How similar are you and I BEHAVIOR GENETICS TWIN STUDIES combination studies Researchers compare the similarities between How is this done Identical twins Vs Fraternal twins reared apart General Finding Identical twins are more similar than fraternal twins small but consistent effect Unaffected by age at separation Mix ups BEHAVIOR GENETICS ADOPTION STUDIES Questions 1 Are adopted kids more like their genetic biology or adoptive environment parents 2 How similar are adopted kids to other kids raised in the same house Answers Biology Environment A tie Personality biology Home environment has little effect Adoptive kids do not resemble biological kids But biological kids don t often resemble each other IQ environment and biology Adoptive kids IQs are close to biological parents IQ but move in the direction of adoptive parents IQ Values environment Religious and ethical values are heavily influenced by the values of the adoptive parents Temperament biology Studies with monkeys ENVIRONMENT The Question What are the influences of nurture the environment on traits and behaviors The Answer 1 Early environment 2 Parents 3 Peers 4 Culture ENVIRONMENT 1 Early environment Ever heard of Head start Mozart effect Montessori schools In utero language tapes Why do we do this Rosenzweig studies 2 questions to consider 1 Do neural changes translate into a cognitive or emotional advantage 2 Is stimulation enough ENVIRONMENT 2 Parental influence Freud parents exert a huge influence on their developing children Remember the data from before Personality IQ Values Temperament 3 Peer influence Huge influence of peers on their friends Could it still be only genes ENVIRONMENT 4 Culture What is it Cultural norms really affect behavior EX Formality Personal space Individualism vs Collectivism Pace Expressiveness Question Could cultural differences really be biological NATURE VS NURTURE GENDER Some known gender differences 1 Spatial cognition 2 Verbal ability 3 Locus of control 4 Empathy Nature biological explanation Nurture environmental explanation CONCLUSIONS TO NATURE VS NURTURE 1 Both Genes and Environment influence behavior 2 It is NOT easy to distinguish the relative contributions of genes vs environment for any particular behavior 3 It is NOT easy to predict any given behavior by controlling the genes or the environment
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