PSY 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Panic Disorder, Autism, Psy

• School: Tunxis Community College
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 111
• Professor: O'brien

Document Summary

Personality is not determined by any single gene, but rather by the actions of. Environment has a strong effect on whether and how genes are expressed. many genes working together. A gene is the basic biological unit that transmits characteristics from one generation to the next. Instincts are complex inborn patterns of behaviors that help ensure survival and reproduction. Behavioral genetics is a variety of research techniques that scientists use to learn about the genetic and environmental influences on human behavior by comparing the traits of biologically and nonbiologically related family members. A family study starts with one person who has a trait of interest and examines the individual"s family tree to determine the extent to which other members of the family also have the trait. Twin studies research the personality characteristics of twins. An adoption study compares biologically related people, including twins, who have been reared either separately or apart.