Genetic similarities

#bio

Concepts

• Kinship study

Introduction to Genetic Similarity

• Definition: Genetic similarity is a measure of the genetic relatedness among individuals. The standard method for computing these matrices involves the inner product of observed genetic variants.

Key Concepts

1. Genes and Behavior

   • Role of genes in determining behavior and psychological traits.
   • Interaction between genetic predispositions and environmental factors (Nature vs. Nurture debate).

2. Heritability

   • Understanding the concept of heritability and its measurement.
   • Examples from twin studies and family studies that illustrate heritability of traits like intelligence, mental health disorders, etc.

3. Twin Studies

   • Difference between monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins.
   • How twin studies contribute to our understanding of the role of genetics in psychology.

4. Adoption Studies

   • Insights from studies of adoptees that help separate the influence of genetics from the environment.

Key study

Weissman et al (2005)