Equal Environment Assumption

Are people product of their genes or the choices made in there lives ? 2. Methodology Boucher first went to find sets of minimization twins who were separated early in life, reared apart for all of most of their lives, and reunited as adults. Each twin completed approximately 50 hours of testing on nearly every human dimension you might imagine. They completed four personality trait scales, three aptitude and occupational interest inventories, and two intelligence tests.

In addition the participants filled in checklists of household belongings (such as power tools, telescope, original artwork, unabridged dictionary) to assess the similarity of their family resources, and a family environment scale that measured how they felt about the parenting they received from their adoptive parents.

They were also administered a life history interview, a psychiatric interview, and a sexual history interview. All Of these assessments were carried out individually so that there was no possibility that one twin might inadvertently influence the answers and responses of the other.

. Results / Conclusions These findings indicate that genetic factors (or “the genome”) appear to account for most of the variation in a remarkable variety of human heartsickness. This finding was demonstrated by the data in two important ways. One is that genetically identical humans (minimization twins), who were raised in separate and often very different settings, grew into adults who were extraordinarily similar, not only in appearance but also in basic psychology and personality.

Twin Essay

The second demonstration in this study of the dominance of genes is the fact that there appeared to be so little effect of the environment on identical twins who were raised in the same setting.

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Here’s Boucher and Lackey’s take on these discoveries: For almost every behavioral trait so far investigated, from reaction time to religiosity, an important fraction Of the variation among people turns out to be associated with genetic variation. This fact need no longer be subject to debate; rather, it is time to consider its implications. . Discuss one example of the significance of the study or one criticism directed toward the research equal environment assumption” (I. E. , Joseph, 2002). This argument maintains that many of the conclusions drawn by Boucher and Liken about genetic influence assume that MS and ADZ twins raised together develop in identical environments. These critics maintain that such an assumption is not valid and that fraternal twins are treated far more differently than are identical twins.

This, they contend, draws the entire method of twin research as a determinate of genetic influences into question. However, several other articles have refuted this criticism and supported the “equal environment assumption”. 5. Discuss one example of subsequent research in this area or recent applications of this study. In 1999, Boucher reviewed the nature-nurture evidence from the Minnesota twin registries (Boucher, 1999). He concluded that, overall, 40% of the variability in personality and 50% variation in intelligence appears to be genetically based.

He also reiterated his position discussed earlier that your genes drive your selection of environments and your selection or avoidance of specific personality-molding environments and behaviors. Research at the Minnesota twin centers continues to be very active. Some fascinating research has examined very complex human heartsickness and behaviors that few would have even guessed to be genetically driven, such as love, divorce, and even death 6.

Reflection Discuss what you learned from the study This study explains how many people who have lived in non-comforting settings for example living with a alcoholic mother who did not raise you with norms or love end up being successful in life & not following your mothers footsteps. Your Personality who you are comes in your genes and how you use them how you make decisions and the way you think is the choices you have made in life .