Primitive Behavioral Genetics: Nature Or Nurture?

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Primitive Behavioral Genetics
Primitive behavioral genetics is the thought that some behaviors of humans are instinctual and are inherited without having any prior experience to base reactions, feelings or thought processes on. These innate behaviors can be closely related to reflexes because it exists within and are predetermined (The Definition of Behavioral Genetics, 2016). Although the theory of primitive behavioral genetics cannot be tested to prove the accuracy and influence, there are many other studies that are performed to help determine what has the strongest impact on creating a persons personality; this is the nature versus nurture debate. The thought that nature reigns supreme to nurture means that the natural and instinctual “reflexes”
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The family studies are used to help solve the questions that come from the heredity versus environment debate. However, it is more so studied to learn about the risks people may have of developing mental disorders of family members have and to what degree they could share with one another or get passed down to them (Haimowitz, 2005). There have been many twin studies which remain a favorite yet controversial testing of behavioral genetics. The twin study follows the development of personality, sexual orientation, interests, and religiosity of identical twins – sharing 100% of the same genes- that were separated at birth or grew up with one another. While in many cases twins feel it doesn’t provide conclusive evidence for the on going debate of nature verses nurture, “the classical twin study design is only one aspect of genetics research. Twin studies estimate the heritability of a trait” (Winerman, 2004). The adoption study looks at the influence of environment. If environment /nurture does not hold as much influence on humans, children who are adopted into a family could not possibly have as many similarities as the children in the home who are blood-related and share parental

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