POL SCI 164A Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Repeated Measures Design, Environmental Determinism
27 Apr 2018
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PS 164A Reading
Genetic and Environmental Transmission of Political Attitudes Over a Life Time
Hatemi et al.
- Finding: genetic influence on political attitudes are absent prior to young
adulthood: in childhood and adolescence, individual differences in political
attitudes accounted for by a variety of environmental influences (esp family
environment including parent socialization); at early adulthood, those who leave
parental home shows evidence of genetic influence on political attitudes that
remain stable throughout adult life
- Similarly to “impressionable years” model of attitude crystallization
- Agreement on genetic contribution for political attitude but it cannot be
assumed to be constant over life time
- Most studies focus on adulthood
- Use population based twin surveys to address both pattern and sources of
political attitudes over the life course
- Respond to object about equal environment assumption
- While MZ twins more likely share similar environment - more likely to
occur in childhood than adulthood (nothing to do with social and
psychological traits in adult life)
- Longitudinal sample used to track twins (550) from childhood to
adolescence & sample of adult twins (12,000)
- Strength from repeated measures of attitudes over time through
longitudinal design
- Findings
- Impact of shared family environmental on social attitudes increases
substantially throughout adolescence
- Both shared and unique environmental influence have an impact on
attitudes
- Genetic influence on political attitudes start around 21 and persist
through adult years
- Correspond with life change of leaving the family and setting up
independent homes
- So, genetic influences expressed in early adulthood oNLY when
powerful social pressures like the parental environment are
removed
- No evidence of influences for twins still living with parents
from 21-25
- Genetic influence dissipates after 75
- Due to age cohort effect
Document Summary
Genetic and environmental transmission of political attitudes over a life time. Similarly o (cid:343)impressionable years(cid:344) model of a i de crys alliza ion. Agreemen on gene ic con rib ion for poli ical a i de b i canno be ass med o be cons an over life ime. Use pop la ion based win s rveys o address bo h pa ern and so rces of poli ical a i des over he life co rse. Respond o objec abo eq al environmen ass mp ion. While mz wins more likely share similar environmen - more likely o occ r in childhood han ad l hood (no hing o do wi h social and psychological rai s in ad l life) Longi dinal sample sed o rack wins (550) from childhood o adolescence & sample of ad l wins (12,000) S reng h from repea ed meas res of a i des over ime hro gh longi dinal design.
