The Role of Genes in the Development of Behavior

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Recommended: short note on influence of Heredity and environment on intelligence

The Role of Genes in the Development of Behavior The debate concerning the influence of genes on human behavior has been on-going for centuries. The nature vs. nurture (or heredity Vs. environment) debates are one of the longest running, and most controversial, both inside and outside psychology. It is concerned with some of the most fundamental questions a human being could ask, such as 'Why are we they way we are?' and 'why do we develop as we do?' Historically this debate has been fought from extreme perspectives, arguing that it is either nature (an individuals heredity genetic make up), or nurture (the environmental influences upon an individual) that determine a person's behavior. However in modern psychology is has generally been accepted that these are impossible positions to take. It is neither true to say that development is caused either by genetic factors or by environmental ones, but instead a constant interaction between the two. This topic is generally researched by examining individual's intelligence, for example, by comparing the results of tests on both monozygotic (MZ) and Dizygotic twins, brought up in shared and non-shared environments. Most researchers now agree that both heredity and environment contribute to intelligence, heredity and environment interact in various ways and that extremely poor, as well as enriched environment can interfere with the realization of a person's intelligence, regardless of his or her heredity. Although there are many problems in investigating this topic, these basic assumptions suggest that genes infact do play a very significant role in the development of behavior. The questio... ... middle of paper ... ... --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Source 1: Hardy, M., and Heyes, S. (1996) pg232 [2] Source 2: Dobson, C, B., Hardy, M., etc (1981) pg 217 [3] Source 3: Gross,r., McIlveen,R., Coolican, H., Clamp, A., and Russell, J., (2000) pg 640 [4] Source 2: Dobson, C., Hardy, M., etc (1981) pg 219 [5] Source 2: Dobson, C., Hardy, M., etc (1981) pg 219 [6] Source 1: Hardy, M., Heyes, S., (1996) pg 237 [7] Source 1: Hardy, M., Heyes, S., (1996) pg 237 [8] Source 2: Dobson, C, B., Hardy, M., etc (1981) pg 220 [9] Source 4: Gross, R., (2003) pgs 600 - 601 [10] Source 4: Gross, R., (2003) pg 603 [11] Source 4: Gross, R., (2003) pg 603 [12] Source 4: Gross, R., (2003) pg 603 [13] Source 4: Gross R., (2003) pg 603 [14] Source 5: Heyes, N., (2000) pg 18

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