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Personality lecture 14 flashcards
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- 1Genetics and intelligence:Behavioural geneticists examine the degree to which variation in the phenotype (observable traits of a person) can be attributed to variation in the genotype (underlying genetic structure)
- 2continued...About 99% of human genes are identical from one individual to another. Behavioural genetics focuses on the 1% of genes that do vary. Basic methodology is to compare similarities and differences in personality/intelligence between populations of individuals who are and aren't genetically related
- 3continued...behavioural geneticists employ 3 primary research methods: family studies, twin studies and adoption studies
- 4The basic assumption of behavioural genetics is that if intelligence/personality traits are influenced by genes:They will be more highly correlated across closer genetic relatives than more distant ones; more highly correlated across MZ than DZ twins
- 5Environments and gene-environment interactions: Behavioural genetics provides evidence concerning the importance of both genes and the environmentIf intelligence shows average heritability in the range of 40-80%, there are substantial degrees of environmental influence, as much as 20-60%- this is based on the additive model/assumption but very complex
- 6Environmental influences: many and variousPrenatal and maternal effects model- includes nutrition and alcohol consumption; culture; socio-economic status of parents; education; shared and non-shared environments; group socialisation theory; birth order and family size
- 71920's- late 1930's pendulum swung to environmental side:Evidence supported link between social class and intelligence rather than race. Backlash against social and human consequences of certain government policies e.g. sterilisation laws
- 8During the 1960's focus of the problem centred on social determinants:Efforts began to address poor educational achievement through addressing poor social conditions and through special schooling
- 9Arthur Jensen:Convinced that intelligence is fundamentally an inherited trait- 80% based on hereditary, and 20% on environment. 1960's began extensive testing of black Mexican-american and other minority group school children
- 10continued...Statistical analyses of this data led him to conclude there were IQ differences between black and white people.
Triggered intense controversy- many viewed as racist (duh) - 11Leon J Kamin (1974):Reported serious doubts with such research and highlighted serious methodological and statistical errors. Devoted his later career to reviewing studies of intelligence. Spoke about dangers of attributing intelligence primarily to genetic factors
- 12Meta-analytic estimates of the heritability of intelligence:The heritability of intelligence remains a controversial area of research today: Daniels, Devlin and Roeder (1997)- heritability can account for 48% of variation in IQ; Hernstein and Murray (1994) 74%. Heritability indices likely to over-estimate role of genetics
- 13The Flynn effect:Showed that IQ was increasing year on year, in all parts of the world at an average rate of about 3 IQ points per decade. Rise greater for fluid than crystallised but rising in both. Risen over 1 SD since WW2- mainly because of environmental effects.
- 14continued...New norms have been used to re-scale IQ tests to average 100.
Flynn favoured environmental explanations for these gains as they are far too rapid to be genetic changes - 15Neisser (1998) and others put forward 5 main environmental areas to explain the Flynn effect:1. Schooling
2. Test-taking sophistication
3. Parenting styles
4. Visual and technical environment
5. Nutrition
Research has examined these factors by comparing 2 hypotheses - 16continued...Cognitive stimulation hypotheses- if true there would be a rise in intelligence test scores across generations at all levels of IQ
Nutrition hypothesis- if true, rises will mainly occur at the lower end where nutritional deprivation is most severe - 17An end to the Flynn effect?Recent studies in Europe have suggested may have ended or even started to reverse. IQ stopped increasing after mid 1990's and has since declined to pre 1991 levels.
- 18continued...Suggest rise in IQ was a result of there being fewer low scorers who drag average IQ down. By 1990's prevalence of low scorers levelled out. Support for nutritional hypothesis- improving nutrition has lowered these scores
- 19Group differences and cultural variation:Evidence suggests that are some small cultural and ethnic variations in mean scores on IQ measures but that the largest variation in scores lies within groups. Small differences between races do not imply genetic causes.
- 20continued...Differences are confounded with the effects of socio-economic status (SES) and other variables including access to general facilities of life. Correlates of intelligence need to be examined together, particularly interplay between race, SES, education, occupation, environment, culture and intelligence
- 21Nature-nurture interaction:Excessive focus on these issues. Impossible to get pure estimates of genetic-environmental contribution- one cannot exist without the other- genes are dependant on the environment
- 22continued...Heredity and environment both contribute to intelligence and both interact in various ways. Complex combo of genetic markers and environmental factors influence intelligence.
- 23APA intelligence task-force report:Response to controversy surrounding bell curve. Investigates and reviews 5 areas: concepts of intelligence; intelligence tests and their correlates; genes and intelligence; environmental effects on intelligence; and group differences
- 24APA conclusions:The small difference between mean intelligence scores of blacks and whites does not result from any obvious biases in test construction and administration and doesn't simply reflect differences in SES
- 25continued...Explanations based on factors of culture may be appropriate, but so far have little empirical support. No support for a genetic interpretation. At present nobody knows what causes this difference.
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- Psychology Flashcards on Personality lecture 14 flashcards, created by Anya Saddler on 03/12/2016.
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- Anya Saddler · Dec 2016
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- Dec 4, 2016
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