Anxiety, Depression, and Personality
Siegfried Kasper, Johan A. den Boer, J. M. Ad Sitsen in Handbook of Depression and Anxiety, 2003
Many twin-and adoption studies confirm that hereditary factors influence the development of personality. The field of behavioral genetics studies the impact of heredity on personality and other behavior. It assesses the heritability of traits; that is, the extent to which they are genetically determined. Heritabilities of 25 to 50% for personality traits are commonly reported. Many twin studies have been conducted [15–17]. Loehlin [16] showed the heritability of the “Big Five” personality traits (extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness). Genetics accounted for approximately 28 to 46% of the variability of these traits. Other scientists try to confirm the heritability with different personality models in twin studies. Tellegen et al. [17] report heritabilities of 0.39 to 0.58 using the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ).
An introduction to Fritz Perls’ dream interpretation techniques
Frederick L. Coolidge, Ernest Hartmann in Dream Interpretation as a Psychotherapeutic Technique, 2018
The modern discipline of behavior genetics has also shown that the largest factor contributing to the total sum of an individual’s behavior comes from genetically based temperaments (e.g. Turkheimer, 2000). These temperaments are also mostly consistent across various situations and across one’s lifespan (e.g. Heatherton and Weinberger, 1994). I believe that both factors may operate during dreaming. We probably project many of our deepest prejudices, biases, and offensive proclivities into our dream cast, script, and surroundings. Our dream themes will also be profoundly shaped by our ingrained, genetic predispositions to act and see ourselves act in very particular ways. Also, notice how these ingrained, genetic predispositions are consonant with Jung’s notions of archetypes impelling behavior yet without a clear form.
Genetic Principles
Gail S. Anderson in Biological Influences on Criminal Behavior, 2019
Heritability is a term that is commonly used in behavior genetics studies. It is a measure of the proportion of the variance or variability in a trait that can be attributed to genetics, as opposed to the variance attributed to the environment.7 It is usually presented as a percentage or on a scale of 0–1 (heritability coefficient). For example, a heritability of 60%, or 0.6, suggests that 60% of the variability for that trait in a population is under genetic control. This can be somewhat misleading, as usually, a large number of genes are involved, each contributing a differing amount of genetic control to the trait. Some may only have a very tiny contribution, and others much more, but the heritability statistic does not distinguish this. Moreover, in many cases, there is an interactive effect between the genes and the environment.
Commentary on “Same-Sex Marriage and Common Mental Health Diagnoses: A Sibling Comparison and Adoption Approach”
Published in The Journal of Sex Research, 2023
The current study was not designed to find direct linkage between genes related to sexual orientation, mental illness, or their overlap. Instead, it was focused on whether common familial factors might explain part of the association between sexual orientation and mental health diagnoses. Given the long history of associating homosexuality with mental illness, articles such as this receive both praise and criticism. Part of the resistance to talking about findings from behavior genetics research, especially as it relates to stigmatized minorities, is related to fears of (re)pathologization, (re)criminalization, and the potential use as justification for “corrective” or “eugenic” interventions. On the other hand, modern behavior genetics strives to increase understanding of the interplay of genes and environment. We are always and at all times the product of our biology in interaction with our environment. Every thought we have is a neuro-chemical reaction. Dismissing the study of potential biological influence on human behavioral trait development because it might be potentially socially dangerous if misapplied, runs the risk of ignoring the potential insights that an integrated bio-psycho-social perspective might afford. Indeed, the Xu et al. study serves to underscore how research on behavioral genetics can point to the need to search for additional unmeasured factors that may help explain the mental health disparities associated with sexual orientation.
Perceived Stress and Sleep Quality in Midlife and Later: Controlling for Genetic and Environmental Influences
Published in Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 2020
Yueqin Hu, Marieke Visser, Sierra Kaiser
In addition to these hypotheses, given the possible heritability of perceived stress and sleep quality, we will also analyze the influence of additive genetics, shared environment and individual-specific environment in the stress–sleep relationship. Behavior genetics by means of twin, family and adoption studies can help decipher the relative contribution of genetic and environmental variability in behavioral traits (Moore et al., 2011). This study will employ the methods of behavior genetics, and use the ACE model (Boomsma, Busjahn, & Peltonen, 2002; Falconer, 1960; Neale & Cardon, 1992) on monozygotic twins and dizygotic twins to separate the contribution of genes, shared environment, and individual-specific environment. Then, for variables that are largely influenced by genes and shared environment, we will use the co-twin design (CTC, e.g, Burt et al., 2010; McGue, Osler, & Christensen, 2010) to control for any genetic and familial confounds.
Environmental Sensitivity in Adults: Psychometric Properties of the Japanese Version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale 10-Item Version
Published in Journal of Personality Assessment, 2023
Shuhei Iimura, Kosuke Yano, Yukiko Ishii
As has been suggested by influential developmental theories such as the bioecological model of human development (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006), from birth to death, humans are affected by a wide range of environmental influences, and we undergo neurophysiological and psychosocial development through dynamic interactions with these environments. In this sense, humans are social beings that cannot be separated from their environment. However, it is important to note that individual differences in sensitivity to environmental influences can be observed (e.g., Aron et al., 2012; Belsky & Pluess, 2009; Boyce & Ellis, 2005; Ellis et al., 2011; Monroe & Simons, 1991; Pluess & Belsky, 2013). Some individuals are more likely to be susceptible to both positive and negative experiences than others. Currently, such individual differences in sensitivity to the environment are being empirically studied from the perspectives of developmental psychology, neurophysiology, behavioral genetics, molecular genetics, and personality psychology within the integrated framework of Environmental Sensitivity Theory (Greven et al., 2019; Pluess, 2015). In this paper, we discuss our development of a brief Japanese version of the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) scale to measure individual differences in sensitivity in adults (Aron & Aron, 1997; Takahashi, 2016), and provide new information on its psychometric properties.
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