{"id":203,"date":"2023-02-17T22:37:21","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T22:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/3-4-apply-it\/"},"modified":"2023-07-12T00:08:23","modified_gmt":"2023-07-12T00:08:23","slug":"3-4-apply-it","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/3-4-apply-it\/","title":{"raw":"Behavior and Genetics: Apply It","rendered":"Behavior and Genetics: Apply It"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Explain the nature vs. nurture debate<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Understand the basics of genetic variation<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Describe how the environment can influence or interact with genetics<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2>Nature vs. Nurture<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3871\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"435\"]<img class=\"wp-image-3871 \" src=\"https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/03\/29155218\/Screenshot-2023-05-29-at-11.51.06-AM.png\" alt=\"Theme C: Psychological biological, social, and cultural factors influence behavior and mental processes.\" width=\"435\" height=\"113\" \/> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Understanding that personality and behavior, whether in humans or dogs, are the result of a mix of both biological (nature) and psychological, social, and cultural (nurture) factors is a key theme within psychology.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nYou've probably heard that a dog's breed makes a big impact on their personality\u2014those sweet Golden Retrievers, those mean Chihuahuas? But is that really true? What determines a dog's personality\u2014is it nature or nurture?\r\n\r\nA genomic study, published in the journal <em>Science<\/em>, challenges the widely-held belief that a dog's breed can predict its personality. The researchers surveyed 18,385 dog owners on their pets' behavior and sequenced the DNA of 2,155 pure and mixed breed dogs, finding that breed only accounted for about 9% of the variation in a dog's behavior.\r\n\r\nThe study confirmed that no breed exclusively possesses any particular trait. While some behavioral traits were found more commonly in certain breeds \u2014for example, shepherding dogs were more likely to shepherd, or huskies more likely to howl than the general dog population\u2014no behavioral trait was uniformly present in all dogs of a breed or absent in all of them. The study found that some dog breeds tended to be better at responding to commands, for example, but that a dog's breed alone could not determine how biddable they were.\r\n\r\nThe study reinforces the idea that a dog\u2019s personality is shaped by a combination of factors, including its environment, with genetics serving as a nudge in a certain direction rather than a predetermined destiny. This mirrors long-established findings in human studies.[footnote]Osborne, M. (2022, April 29). A Dog\u2019s Breed Can\u2019t Predict Most of Its Behavior, New Study Shows. <em>Smithsonian Magazine<\/em>. https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smart-news\/a-dogs-breed-cant-predict-most-of-its-behavior-new-study-shows-180979999\/[\/footnote]\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox linkToLearning\">Watch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ydqt8bz1buY&amp;t=8s\">this video to learn more about the research done on heritability and dogs.<\/a><\/section><section class=\"textbox tryIt\">1. Based on the video, what are the limitations in predicting a dog's behavior from its breed ancestry?[reveal-answer q=\"827846\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"827846\"]Predicting a dog's behavior from its breed ancestry presents several limitations. Firstly, behavior in dogs, like all organisms, is complex and cannot be accurately predicted based on breed alone. Dogs' behaviors are a combination of numerous factors, including both genetic and environmental influences. Additionally, dog breeds we know today only trace back around 160 years, a relatively short period of time in terms of evolution, suggesting that the genetic traits tied to behavior may not have had sufficient time to become firmly established in these breeds.[\/hidden-answer]2. What are the implications of the new regions found in dog DNA for understanding human diseases and disorders?[reveal-answer q=\"725956\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"725956\"]The discovery of new regions in dog DNA has significant implications for understanding human diseases and disorders. One new region of dog DNA identified appears to be involved with howling and is linked to a location in human DNA associated with speech and language. Another new spot in dog DNA is connected to human sociability and learning. This means that by studying dog genetics and behavior, scientists can gain insights into the genetic factors influencing human behavior, psychiatric diseases, and other conditions. This knowledge could potentially inform the development of new treatments or preventative strategies for these conditions.[\/hidden-answer]\r\n\r\n<\/section><section class=\"textbox connectIt\">As you reflect on the nature\/nurture debate, consider the following questions:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Is your personality more like one of your parents than the other? If you have a sibling, is their personality like yours? In your family, how did these similarities and differences develop? What do you think caused them?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Can you think of a human characteristic for which genetic differences would play almost no role?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Do you think the time will come when we will be able to predict almost everything about someone by examining their DNA on the day they are born?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Identical twins are more similar than fraternal twins for the trait of aggressiveness, as well as for criminal behavior. Do these facts have implications for the courtroom? If it can be shown that a violent criminal had violent parents, should it make a difference in culpability or sentencing?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>&nbsp;","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\n<ul>\n<li>Explain the nature vs. nurture debate<\/li>\n<li>Understand the basics of genetic variation<\/li>\n<li>Describe how the environment can influence or interact with genetics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2>Nature vs. Nurture<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3871\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3871\" style=\"width: 435px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3871\" src=\"https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/03\/29155218\/Screenshot-2023-05-29-at-11.51.06-AM.png\" alt=\"Theme C: Psychological biological, social, and cultural factors influence behavior and mental processes.\" width=\"435\" height=\"113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/03\/29155218\/Screenshot-2023-05-29-at-11.51.06-AM.png 1418w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/03\/29155218\/Screenshot-2023-05-29-at-11.51.06-AM-300x78.png 300w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/03\/29155218\/Screenshot-2023-05-29-at-11.51.06-AM-1024x266.png 1024w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/03\/29155218\/Screenshot-2023-05-29-at-11.51.06-AM-768x199.png 768w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/03\/29155218\/Screenshot-2023-05-29-at-11.51.06-AM-1200x311.png 1200w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/03\/29155218\/Screenshot-2023-05-29-at-11.51.06-AM-65x17.png 65w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/03\/29155218\/Screenshot-2023-05-29-at-11.51.06-AM-225x58.png 225w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/03\/29155218\/Screenshot-2023-05-29-at-11.51.06-AM-350x91.png 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 435px) 100vw, 435px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3871\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Understanding that personality and behavior, whether in humans or dogs, are the result of a mix of both biological (nature) and psychological, social, and cultural (nurture) factors is a key theme within psychology.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You&#8217;ve probably heard that a dog&#8217;s breed makes a big impact on their personality\u2014those sweet Golden Retrievers, those mean Chihuahuas? But is that really true? What determines a dog&#8217;s personality\u2014is it nature or nurture?<\/p>\n<p>A genomic study, published in the journal <em>Science<\/em>, challenges the widely-held belief that a dog&#8217;s breed can predict its personality. The researchers surveyed 18,385 dog owners on their pets&#8217; behavior and sequenced the DNA of 2,155 pure and mixed breed dogs, finding that breed only accounted for about 9% of the variation in a dog&#8217;s behavior.<\/p>\n<p>The study confirmed that no breed exclusively possesses any particular trait. While some behavioral traits were found more commonly in certain breeds \u2014for example, shepherding dogs were more likely to shepherd, or huskies more likely to howl than the general dog population\u2014no behavioral trait was uniformly present in all dogs of a breed or absent in all of them. The study found that some dog breeds tended to be better at responding to commands, for example, but that a dog&#8217;s breed alone could not determine how biddable they were.<\/p>\n<p>The study reinforces the idea that a dog\u2019s personality is shaped by a combination of factors, including its environment, with genetics serving as a nudge in a certain direction rather than a predetermined destiny. This mirrors long-established findings in human studies.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Osborne, M. (2022, April 29). A Dog\u2019s Breed Can\u2019t Predict Most of Its Behavior, New Study Shows. Smithsonian Magazine. https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smart-news\/a-dogs-breed-cant-predict-most-of-its-behavior-new-study-shows-180979999\/\" id=\"return-footnote-203-1\" href=\"#footnote-203-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox linkToLearning\">Watch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ydqt8bz1buY&amp;t=8s\">this video to learn more about the research done on heritability and dogs.<\/a><\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\">1. Based on the video, what are the limitations in predicting a dog&#8217;s behavior from its breed ancestry?<\/p>\n<div class=\"qa-wrapper\" style=\"display: block\"><button class=\"show-answer show-answer-button collapsed\" data-target=\"q827846\">Show Answer<\/button><\/p>\n<div id=\"q827846\" class=\"hidden-answer\" style=\"display: none\">Predicting a dog&#8217;s behavior from its breed ancestry presents several limitations. Firstly, behavior in dogs, like all organisms, is complex and cannot be accurately predicted based on breed alone. Dogs&#8217; behaviors are a combination of numerous factors, including both genetic and environmental influences. Additionally, dog breeds we know today only trace back around 160 years, a relatively short period of time in terms of evolution, suggesting that the genetic traits tied to behavior may not have had sufficient time to become firmly established in these breeds.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>2. What are the implications of the new regions found in dog DNA for understanding human diseases and disorders?<\/p>\n<div class=\"qa-wrapper\" style=\"display: block\"><button class=\"show-answer show-answer-button collapsed\" data-target=\"q725956\">Show Answer<\/button><\/p>\n<div id=\"q725956\" class=\"hidden-answer\" style=\"display: none\">The discovery of new regions in dog DNA has significant implications for understanding human diseases and disorders. One new region of dog DNA identified appears to be involved with howling and is linked to a location in human DNA associated with speech and language. Another new spot in dog DNA is connected to human sociability and learning. This means that by studying dog genetics and behavior, scientists can gain insights into the genetic factors influencing human behavior, psychiatric diseases, and other conditions. This knowledge could potentially inform the development of new treatments or preventative strategies for these conditions.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox connectIt\">As you reflect on the nature\/nurture debate, consider the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is your personality more like one of your parents than the other? If you have a sibling, is their personality like yours? In your family, how did these similarities and differences develop? What do you think caused them?<\/li>\n<li>Can you think of a human characteristic for which genetic differences would play almost no role?<\/li>\n<li>Do you think the time will come when we will be able to predict almost everything about someone by examining their DNA on the day they are born?<\/li>\n<li>Identical twins are more similar than fraternal twins for the trait of aggressiveness, as well as for criminal behavior. Do these facts have implications for the courtroom? If it can be shown that a violent criminal had violent parents, should it make a difference in culpability or sentencing?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-203-1\">Osborne, M. (2022, April 29). A Dog\u2019s Breed Can\u2019t Predict Most of Its Behavior, New Study Shows. <em>Smithsonian Magazine<\/em>. https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smart-news\/a-dogs-breed-cant-predict-most-of-its-behavior-new-study-shows-180979999\/ <a href=\"#return-footnote-203-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":20,"menu_order":30,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"Your dogu2019s breed doesnu2019t determine its personality, study suggests\",\"author\":\"Science Magazine\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ydqt8bz1buY&t=8s\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"other\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube License\"},{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"pd\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":210,"module-header":"apply_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"copyrighted_video","description":"Your dogu2019s breed doesnu2019t determine its personality, study suggests","author":"Science Magazine","organization":"","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ydqt8bz1buY&t=8s","project":"","license":"other","license_terms":"Standard YouTube License"},{"type":"copyrighted_video","description":"","author":"","organization":"","url":"","project":"","license":"pd","license_terms":""}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/203"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5188,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/203\/revisions\/5188"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/210"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/203\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=203"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=203"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}