L U 2 –

G E N E S ,
E N V I R O N M E N T
A N D
D E V E L O P M E N T
PSYC6212
 Introduction to LU2

This learning unit focus on the

genes & environment as role
players in the development of a
human.
The influence of genetics on
intellectual abilities, temperament,
personality & psychological
disorders are investigated, as well
as some of the controversies
surrounding genetic research are
described.
 Theme 1: Genes and Environmental
Influences

• LO1: Define the key concepts of behavioural

genetics, heritability and concordance rates
(pp.72-74)

PM1:
Chapter 3
pp.72-86
Scientific study
of the extent to
which genetic &
environmental
differences
among people
are responsible
for differences
What do you remember about
these key concepts??

• Heritability
–Proportion of all the variability in
the trait within a large sample of
people that can be linked to
genetic differences among those
individuals
• Concordance rates
–Percentage of pairs of people studied
in which if one member of a pair
displays the trait, the other does too
–If concordance rates are higher for
more genetically related, trait is
heritable
The Jim twins

Watch
video
 LO2: Describe the types of research studies that can be applied to identify influences on human development (pp. 73)

Twins Adoption Family

Identical twins/fraternal Are children adopted Measure qualities of
twins early in life similar to family members’
Reared together /reared their biological parents experiences to
apart. or their adoptive determine similarities
parents? and differences in
siblings’ environments.

Think about what aspects of nature and nurture can these 3 types of research show us?
 EXAMPLE:
IS DEPRESSION
HERITABLE?
HOW COULD WE STUDY THIS?
Using our 3 research types:
Twins Adoption Family

Locate twins, fraternal Locate twins, fraternal

& identical, & identical, Locate people that
See if one or both suffer that have been suffer from depression
from depression. adopted, both together & see if their parents,
or separated. siblings & other family
Did they always live members also suffer
together or apart as Especially those that form depression.
children? have been separated.
Did the environment
have an impact ?
FYI
• Heritability for depressions is probably 40-50%,
and might be higher for severe depression. This
could mean that in most cases of
depression, around 50% of the cause is genetic,
and around 50% is unrelated to genes
(psychological or physical factors).

(Stanford School of Medicine, 2021)

LO3: Distinguish among the effects of genes, shared environmental influences and non-shared environmental influences on
human development (pp. 73-74)

Contributions of three factors to individual

differences

– Genes Nature

– Shared environmental experiences

• Common experiences that work to make them
similar Nurture
– Non-shared environmental experiences
• Experiences unique to the individual, not shared
by others in family
•What factors in the environment in
which you grew up, were/ are identical Traumarecovery.net

for all the siblings in your family?

• Or, if you are an only child, what are
the environmental factors that you
might have shared if you had
siblings?
•What environmental factors were
unique to you and that you did/ do not
share with other siblings in your family?
Nurture (environment)
Shared environmental Non-shared environmental
experiences experiences
Common experiences that work Experiences unique to the individual,
to make them similar not shared by others in family
• Eg’s • Eg’s
LO4: Describe the contribution of molecular genetics to the study of human development (pp.75-76)

What is molecular genetics?

• The analysis of particular genes & their effects. Vision.org

• Involves identification of specific variants of genes that influence

particular traits & comparisons of people who have these genes
& who does not.
• Allows researchers to study the effects of specific genes in
combination with the effects of environmental influences =
polygenic inheritance
• Identify how much multiple genes contribute to polygenetic traits
A characteristic influenced by
E.g. Intelligence the action of many gene pairs
rather than a single pair

• Many genes contribute to polygenetic effects

• Goal is to identify the percent of contribution for each gene; results
of this effort have been disappointing, with each gene making only
a small contribution to the overall variation

• Apolipoprotein E (ApoE4) gene linked to risk of Alzheimer’s

disease, but many with Alzheimer’s do not have the gene
• Having ApoE4 gene and experiencing specific environmental event
(e.g., head injury) may increase risk
 Theme 2: Genetic Behaviour
• LO5: Discuss, through the use of examples, the findings of
behavioural genetic studies on intellectual abilities,
temperament, personality and psychological disorders (pp. 76-
78)
 Intellectual Abilities
Pg. 76

• Heritability of IQ scores is about 0.50

– Genetic differences account for about 50% of the
variation in IQ
– Increases with age
• Shared environmental influences become less
significant with age
– Account for 30% of the variation in IQ in childhood but
less in adulthood
 Average Correlations between the IQ
Scores of Pairs of Individuals

Can you see

the
evidence of
workings of
the
environment
?

© 2018. CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS

RESERVED.
 Temperament and Personality
• What is temperament?
– Tendencies to respond in predictable ways, such as sociability and
emotional reactivity, that serve as the building blocks of later
personality

• Genes contribute to individual differences in temperament in infancy

and to both continuity and change in later personality
• Average correlation between temperament score of identical twins is
between .50 and .60, while the correlation between fraternal twins is
around 0.
 See Fig
Personality
3.5 Pg. 78
• About 40% of the variation • 55% Nonshared influences significant
on major personality • Little evidence that parents mold
dimensions is attributable to all children’s personalities in
genetic differences similar directions
• 5% Shared environmental • Parents often develop unique
influences can be important relationships with each of their
(e.g., children adopt children
attitudes and interests • Siblings grow up at different times
similar to parents) and have different experiences
• Parent conflict can cause • Brothers and sisters try to
multiple children in the differentiate themselves and
establish their own identities
same home to develop
psychological problems • Children have different peer groups
and teachers
 Psychological Disorders Pg.78
• Genes and environment contribute to psychological disorders
• Schizophrenia Serious mental disorder involving
disturbed thinking, emotions, & social
behaviour
– Genes contribute substantially
– Average concordance rates for identical twins is 48%
– Heritability estimated to be 80% or higher
– Adopted children with biological parent with schizophrenia are at risk
for developing the disorder
 1% of people in general population have schizophrenia;
10% of children who have a schizophrenic parents will
become schizophrenic; 90% of children with a
schizophrenic parent do not develop schizophrenia

• Actual development depends on combination of genetics and

environmental stress (e.g., dysfunctional family) EXAMPLES??
Do not inherit the • Genetically at-risk infants who came down with an
disorder, but infectious disease like the flu while mothers were pregnant
are at increased risk to develop schizophrenia
rather the • Infants deprived of oxygen at birth are at risk to develop
predisposition to schizophrenia
develop the • Adopted children with biological parent who is
schizophrenic are more likely to develop the disorder if
disorder they grow up in a dysfunctional adoptive home
Diathesis-Stress Theory states that psychological
disorders develop due to a combination of genetic
vulnerability and risk factors in the environment.
Let’s say someone inherited genes that put them at risk
for schizophrenia. According to the diathesis-stress
model of schizophrenia, the at-risk person might avoid
developing the disease if stress in their life is low. But
high levels of stress could trigger onset of the disease.
Possible environmental stressors include family conflict,
abuse, trauma, problems at school, rejection by peers,
and even poor nutrition.
Question 2 (Marks: 10)
David’s biological mother had schizophrenia, so he was placed in an
adoptive home when he was two months old. He was raised by his
adoptive parents (none of whom had a psychological disorder) in a stable
and loving family.

David at age 18 has approached you, a genetic counsellor, with concerns

about developing schizophrenia. Explain what you would tell David about
his chances of developing schizophrenia.

Also refer to the Diathesis stress model in your answer.

LO6: Describe the heritability of different traits with the use of examples (pp.78)

The Heritability of Different Traits Pg. 78

• Difficult to find a human characteristic that is not to some degree

heritable
• Some traits more influenced by genes than others
• Observable physical (e.g., eye color, height) and physiological
traits (e.g., reactions to alcohol) strongly influenced by genetics
• Susceptibility to many diseases related to aging influenced by
genes
• General intelligence moderately influenced by genetics (50% or
more of variation attributed to genes)
• Genetic endowment contributes only modestly to attitudes and
interests (e.g., vocational interest)
Pg. 79
Gene-Environment Interplay
Gene-
Environment
Interplay

Gene– Gene–
environment environment
correlations interaction

Passive Evocative Active

LO7: Discuss the dynamics between gene-environment interaction and gene-environment correlation (pp.80-83)

Gene-Environment Interplay

• Gene–environment interaction
– The effects of genes depend on what kind of environment we
experience
– How we respond to the environment depends on what genes
we have
• Often is a combination of high-risk genes and a high-risk
environment to trigger psychological problems
 • Caspi and colleagues described impact of
genes and stressful life events on
development of depression in New
Zealanders
• Predisposition to depression
results in somewhat higher
Read studies of probability of having
the 5-HTTLPR depression
• Individuals with two high-risk variants for
gene depression more vulnerable to depression
than those with protective variant only if
Pg. 80 they experience multiple stressful events
• Often takes combination of high-risk genes
and a high-risk environment to trigger many
psychological problems

• Diathesis stress model

• Differential susceptibility hypothesis
• Gene–environment correlations
–Ways that a person’s genes and his environment
are systematically interrelated
• Three types of gene-environment correlations
–Passive
–Evocative Create a mind map or
–Active summary on the 3 types
Provide an example of
each
Pg. 81
 Three types of gene-environment correlations:
Passive Evocative Active
• Parents provide children with A child’s genotype often evokes Children’s genotypes influence the
both their genes and a home certain reactions from people. kind of environments they seek.
environment compatible with Genetic predisposition to
those genes, the home E.g. Sociable smiley, happy baby extraversion may seek many social
environments correlate with & evokes more smiles and activities, invite friends, join
reinforce the child’s genotype. interaction from others = groups etc to stimulate and
• E.g. Create a sociable home opportunities to build social skills. strengthen social skills.
environment, lots of friends Child invited to more play dates.
over, parties etc. = sociable child Shyness genes may actively avoid
• Or shy parents, stay away from Or fussy baby that cries = no large group activities and develop
people, parties etc = shy child opportunity for interaction. Shy solitary interests.
child = no play dates.
 Implications of gene-environment correlations
Pg. 82

• Behavioral geneticists are discovering that

measures of environment are heritable Environments they experience
& in perceptions of those
environments e.g. parenting,
• Genes influence how parents, peers, and stressful life events, time
allowed watching tv etc.
others treat children = create environment =
Genetically
• Environmental influences then contribute to influenced
personality traits
the individual’s development affect how others
treat us and what
experiences we have
LO8: Explain the effects of epigenetics in various contexts (pp.83-85)

Epigenetic Effects on Gene

Expression Pg. 83
Epi= over & above,
• Epigenesis genesis= birth/origin
– Process through which nature and nurture co-act to bring
forth particular developmental outcomes
• Epigenetic effects
– Environmental factors affect whether or not particular genes
in particular cells are expressed
– Might explain differences in identical twins
Remember some eg’s of Epigenetic
Effects?
• Diet
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Drugs
• Environmental toxins
• Prenatal care
 Epigenetic Effects & Differences between
twins Pg. 83
• Epigenetic effects may help
explain why identical twins
may differ
• Study – 3yr old twins very
similar gene patterns but in 50
yr old twins, genes were
expressed very differently.
Greater differences in those
with different lifestyles.
 Epigenetic Differences of nurturing & See
neglect Pg. 84 Video

• Study on early experiences of rat pups,

• Mother rates nurturing, lick & groom their pups in first week of life, pups
grow up to handle stress well.
• If rat mom neglects pup & do not provide this care, they become timid &
easily stressed adults.
• Not due to genetics (swapped pups)
• Shows environmental influence on genetics.

• What about humans? Cycle of abuse and aggression?

 Epigenetic Effects & Obesity Pg. 84

• Rats and obesity experiment

• Fathers fed high fat diet & making him overweight
cause epigenetic changes in his sperm.
• The marks then became part of his daughters profile
and change in her physiology that made her more
prone to obesity and diabetes even if her and her
mother had healthy diets!
 LO9: Describe the controversies surrounding genetic research (pp.85-86)

Controversies Surrounding Genetic Success in gene

Research therapy of genetic
disorders such as
• Gene therapy hemophilia, cystic
fibrosis & sickle-cell
–Involves substituting normal genes for disease. Will be
many more.
the genes associated with a disease or
disorder
Why does this
raise ethical Even if we were able to alter genes
why would this not ‘cure’ genetic
questions?
diseases & disorders?
 Remember!
• As you now understand, most conditions are the product
of the interaction of multiple gens and multiple
environmental influences, including epigenetic effects.
• It is very difficult to manipulate all the variables involved.
Developmentalists question the idea of trying to
separate the influences of genes and
environment on differences between individuals

What advice do they give us as parents and

practitioners?

Be sensitive to each child's genetic

predispositions as well as knowledgeable
about ways to optimise development so we can
strengthen the child's adaptive tendencies and
work on the weaker ones.
S E E T A B L E O F T Y P E S O F
G E N E - E N V I R O N M E N T
I N T E R P L A Y P G . 8 5

S E E C H A P T E R S U M M A R Y
P G . 8 6