AP Psychology Unit 3 Biological Bases of Behavior

AP Psychology Unit 3: Biological Bases of Behavior: 3 C—Genetics, Evolutionary Psychology, and Behavior

Biological Bases of Behavior: Genetics • Members of the human family share common behavioral tendencies but are also strikingly diverse. • Nature AND Nurture – Genes & Environment • Nurture allows what Nature endows. (Interaction)

How can we study individual differences and similarities? • Genes: the blueprints that design both our universal human attributes and our individual traits. • Behavior geneticists: Study human differences and use twin/adoption studies to determine heritability of various traits/disorders • Molecular geneticists: study genes that influence disorders • Evolutionary psychologists: studies similarities in humans. Focuses on how natural selection promote the survival of our genes The human building blocks The nucleus of every human cell contains chromosomes, each of which is made up of two strands of DNA connected in a double helix.

What can we learn from twins? • Examining the influence of nature and nurture can be difficult … • Identical twins provide us with natural science labs! Figure 3 C. 2 Same fertilized egg, same genes; different eggs, different genes Identical twins develop from a single fertilized egg, fraternal twins from two.

Surprising Facts About Twins • Video Clip