PSY 1102 Chapter 4: Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 1102
• Professor: Marcel Viens

Document Summary

Chapter 4 - nature, nurture, and human diversity. The human family tree shares common behavioral tendencies. No matter what part of the globe we come from, facial expressions often mean the same things (smile, frown, etc. ) Behavior genetics : the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior. Environment : every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us. Every cell nucleus in our bodies contain the genetic code for the entire body. 23 chromosomes from father, 23 chromosomes from mother = 46 chromosomes. There are active genes (expressed) and inactive genes. Genome : material in that organism"s chromosomes the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic. We share 96% of our dna sequence with chimpanzees - we are very closely related to them. Even the tiniest percent difference in a genome can make a huge difference in behavior of two species.