Chapter 4 Questions for Discussion

  1. You learned that among people who possessed the allele that could have predisposed them for depression, only those who experienced many stressful life events developed suicidal thoughts and behaviors. That is, it was only in a particular kind of environment that gene expression took place; genes and environment interacted. Consider the possibility that genes and environment interact to produce variations in extraversion. Among those who possess the allele that predisposes them to be extraverted, what kinds of environments do you suppose would interact with those genes to cause people to be more or less extraverted? That is, in what contexts might the extraversion gene be more likely to get expressed? [Analyze]

  2. It’s obvious to us that physical characteristics such as height and hair color are genetically determined. But how might the environment influence the expression of the genes that produce these characteristics? Can you think of characteristics—physical or psychological—that could not be influenced by the environment? Can you think of characteristics—physical or psychological—that could not be influenced by genes? [Analyze]

  3. What is your opinion of evolutionary psychologists’ explanation of homosexuality (i.e., the idea that homosexuality per se didn’t evolve, but that a gene evolved that is expressed differently in men and women. In women, it increases childbirth; in men, it increases the probability of homosexuality)? [Evaluate]

  4. How would an evolutionary psychologist explain why we help one another? That is, how is helping behavior an adaptive feature that would enable an individual to survive and reproduce? [Analyze]

  5. Knowing what you know about how environmental experiences shape brain development, what recommendations would you make to new parents? [Apply]

  6. More and more evidence indicates that homosexuality is, at least in part, genetically determined and that the prenatal environment may also play a role in its development. Do you think that the accumulation of this evidence will help to decrease homophobia? [Analyze]

  7. You learned that even twins growing up in the same household are not psychologically identical; they have different personalities, at least in part because of differences in the way their parents treat them. What other environmental differences might they experience? How are your environment and those of your siblings different? What effects has this had? [Analyze]

  8. In 1998 a young Lindsay Lohan starred in the movie The Parent Trap, which depicted the reunion between separated-at-birth identical twins. In the movie, the twins were physically identical, differing only in their attire and accents. They did differ psychologically, however. Given your understanding of epigenetics, what features of this depiction were accurate? Which were inaccurate? What recommendations would you offer to the filmmakers if accuracy was their goal? [Analyze]