Browsing by Subject "Behavior genetics"
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Behavioral and psychological correlates of fluctuating asymmetry: a within-families study(2005) Arnold, Richard Dinwiddie; Horn, Joseph M.Numerous studies have shown fluctuating asymmetry (FA), a physical manifestation of developmental instability, to be associated with a range of physical, behavioral and psychological traits in humans. Reported associations between FA and psychometric intelligence and social dominance were investigated using a within-families design. Methodological improvements in the measurement of FA using four repeated observations of each physical trait and using high-resolution photocopies of the traits rather than direct measurement were also implemented, resulting in an alpha reliability for FA of .89. Primary analyses involving 42 pairs of adult brothers found a statistically significant between-family correlation of -.32 between FA and intelligence test scores but no statistically significant correlation within-families. No statistically significant correlations were found between FA and social dominance. The results were interpreted as indicating that cross-assortative mating for FA and intelligence is responsible for the observed association between these variables in the general population. These results were not surprising in light of previous research with respect to mate preferences and mate choices. Implications for social stratification along an array of desirable traits were discussed, as were methodological considerations for future research involving mating and reproductively relevant traits.Item Genetic influences on social life : evidence, pathways, and implications for sociological inquiry(2008-08) Bradshaw, John Mattison; Ellison, Christopher G., 1960-; Hayward, Mark D.Scholars in diverse disciplines are currently engaged in debates concerning the causes and consequences of human social interaction in areas including personality development, interpersonal characteristics, social attachments and support, family life, religious involvement, civic engagement, socioeconomic attainment, and health and wellbeing, among others. Unfortunately, researchers in these areas are compartmentalized into two, largely isolated, camps: (1) social scientists who base their research on the assumption that social outcomes are primarily, if not exclusively, the products of social-environmental influences; and (2) biologists, geneticists, psychiatrists, and some psychologists, all of whom assume that genetic factors are important as well. The purpose of this dissertation, therefore, is to begin integrating sociological and biomedical research on social life. To facilitate this task, four specific research questions are addressed: Do genetic and environmental factors both influence social life, and if so, what is the relative contribution of each? Why and how do genetic factors influence social life, and what are the pathways by which they operate? Are genetic and environmental influences on social life correlated (i.e., non-additive), and do genetic factors bias social scientific studies that do not take them into consideration? Do genetic and environmental factors interact to produce social outcomes? To answer these questions, twin sibling data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) is analyzed. In response to the first question, results reveal that both genetic and environmental factors are indeed important predictors of individual-level variation on several different aspects of social life, including religious involvement, civic engagement, personality and interpersonal characteristics, family relations, socioeconomic status, community attachment, neighborhood quality, and psychological distress. Further, genetic effects on several of these outcomes (e.g., civic engagement, psychological distress) are mediated by personality, interpersonal characteristics, and social relationships, which provides insight into the second and third research questions. With respect to the final question, the findings presented here suggest that genetic and environmental influences on at least one social outcome--health and well-being--function in both a correlated and interactive manner. Overall, the theoretical and empirical research provided in this dissertation highlights a growing need for research that integrates sociological and biological approaches to the study of social life.Item The structure, development, and correlates of individual differences in human personality(2015-08) Briley, Daniel Andrew; Tucker-Drob, Elliot Max; Harden, Kathryn P; Gosling, Samuel D; Buss, David M; Potter, Joseph E; Crosnoe, RobertHuman personality possesses a complex psychometric structure that changes with maturation and predicts a number of important life outcomes. The current dissertation presents four studies that track the structure, development, and correlates of personality, primarily through a behavioral genetic lens. Study 1 finds that the genetic and environmental structure of personality domains residing over more narrow facets is more complex than can be accounted for by simple, broad domains. Study 2 presents meta-analytic evidence for the differential stability of personality traits across the lifespan, as well as genetic and environmental contributions to stability. Personality traits become more stable with age, and this trend is primarily driven by increasing environmental sources of stability. Study 3 details a transactional model of parental educational expectations, child academic behaviors, and child academic achievement across early development. Finally, Study 4 presents associations between state-level aggregates of personality and the level, timing, and context of fertility across the United States. Together, these studies indicate the importance of understanding personality for individual-level and population-level processes, as well as, the complexities of this goal due to the dynamic nature of gene-environment dependencies that undergird personality development.