Module 11 Introduction
Behavior Genetics: Predicting Individual Differences
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11-1 What are chromosomes, DNA, genes, and the human genome? How do behavior geneticists explain our individual differences?
The nurture of nature Parents everywhere wonder: Will my baby grow up to be peaceful or aggressive? Homely or attractive? Successful or struggling at every step? What comes built in, and what is nurtured—and how? Research reveals that nature and nurture together shape our development—every step of the way.
If Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, becomes a politician, should we attribute her superior political talent to her “White House genes”? To growing up in a politically savvy environment? To high expectations? Such questions intrigue behavior geneticists, who study our differences and weigh the effects and the interplay of heredity and environment.