Introduction
The field of behavioral genetics, or more specifically human behavioral genetics, is concerned with the study of the causes of individual differences in psychological traits, such as intelligence (IQ) and personality. It also looks into to the possible role of genetic factors as a cause of abnormal behavior and psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The main research methods of the field are family, twin, and adoption studies, with twin studies playing a predominant role. Based on the results of this body of research, the leaders of the field argue that genetic factors play an important role in shaping human behavioral traits.
Definition
Behavioral genetics is rooted in the field of psychology, where its influence has grown steadily since the 1970s. By the beginning of the twenty-first century, behavioral genetic methods, theories, and purported findings were solidly integrated into the body of...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Agrawal, A. (2012). Minutes of the annual business meeting of the members of the behavior genetics association. Behavior Genetics, 42, 979–981.
Fuller, J. L., & Thompson, W. R. (1960). Behavior genetics. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Galton, F. (1883). Inquiries into human faculty and its development. London: Macmillan.
Gasper, P. (2004). Is biology destiny? International Socialist Review, 38. Retrieved from November-December, http://www.isreview.org/issues/38/genes.shtml
Jensen, A. R. (1969). How much can we boost IQ and scholastic achievement? Harvard Educational Review, 39, 1–123.
Joseph, J. (2004). The gene illusion: Genetic research in psychiatry and psychology under the microscope. New York: Algora. (2003 United Kingdom Edition by PCCS Books).
Joseph, J. (2006). The missing gene: Psychiatry, heredity, and the fruitless search for genes. New York: Algora.
Joseph, J. (2010). Genetic research in psychiatry and psychology: A critical overview. In K. Hood, C. Tucker Halpern, G. Greenberg, & R. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of developmental science, behavior, and genetics (pp. 557–625). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Joseph, J. (2011). The crumbling pillars of behavioral genetics. GeneWatch, 24(6), 4–7.
Joseph, J. (2012). The “missing heritability” of psychiatric disorders: Elusive genes or non-existent genes? Applied Developmental Science, 16, 65–83.
Loehlin, J. C. (2009). History of behavior genetics. In Y. Kim (Ed.), Handbook of behavior genetics (pp. 3–11). New York: Springer.
McClearn, G. E., & DeFries, J. C. (1973). Introduction to behavioral genetics. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman.
McGue, M. (2010). The end of behavioral genetics? Behavior Genetics, 40, 284–296.
Plomin, R. (2013). Child development and molecular genetics: 14 years later. Child Development, 84, 104–120.
Plomin, R., DeFries, J. C., McClearn, G. E., & McGuffin, P. (2008). Behavioral genetics (5th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.
Rowe, D. C., & Jacobson, K. C. (1999). In the mainstream. In R. Carson & M. Rothstein (Eds.), Behavioral genetics: The clash of culture and biology (pp. 12–34). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Scarr, S. (1987). Three cheers for behavior genetics: Winning the war and losing our identity. Behavior Genetics, 17, 219–228.
Turkheimer, E. (2000). Three laws of behavior genetics and what they mean. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9, 160–164.
Wahlsten, D. (1990). Insensitivity of the analysis of variance to heredity-environment interaction. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 13, 109–120.
Wahlsten, D. (2012). The hunt for gene effects pertinent to behavioral traits and psychiatric disorders: From mouse to human. Developmental Psychobiology, 54, 475–492.
Online Resources
Articles on twin research.
Behavior Genetics Association website.
Behavior Genetic Association annual meeting website.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Joseph, J. (2014). Behavioral Genetics. In: Teo, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_25
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_25
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-5582-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-5583-7
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Sciences