Abstract
In this chapter, Witkowski speaks with Robert Plomin, who responds to the criticism of his book, Blueprint. Plomin, best known for his work in twin studies and behavior genetics, presents the attitude of environmentalist researchers to behavioral genetics and analyzes the myth of early childhood determinism. The interlocutors discuss clinical psychology, psychotherapy and the legitimacy of DSM diagnostic categories in the light of genetic research results. They discuss the persistent resistance of psychologists to these discoveries in the terms of Thomas Kuhn’s paradigmatic wars. Plomin also presents his view on the causes of and the ways of overcoming the crisis in psychology, mentioning specifically the case of Cyril Burt, the misuse of epigenetics and the validity of gender studies’ claims. The analysis of the achievements of psychology, the questions it faces and an overview of Plomin’s current research conclude this chapter.
My religion is science, not individual scientists. I believe in science, but I try to resist the temptation to believe in scientists and to hold them up as heroes.
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Notes
- 1.
A polygenic score, also called a polygenic risk score, genetic risk score, or genome-wide score, is a number based on variation in multiple genetic loci and their associated weights. It serves as the best prediction for the trait that can be made when taking into account variation in multiple genetic variants.
Selected Readings
Ashbury, K., & Plomin, R. (2013). G is for genes. New York: Wiley Blackwell.
DeFries, J. C., Plomin, R., & Fulker, D. W. (1994). Nature and nurture during middle childhood. Oxford: Blackwell.
Dunn, J., & Plomin, R. (1992). Separate lives: Why siblings are so different. New York: Basic Books.
Petrill, S. A., Plomin, R., DeFries, J. C., & Hewitt, J. K. (Eds.). (2003). Nature, nurture, and the transition to early adolescence. New York: Oxford University Press.
Plomin, R. (1986). Development, genetics, and psychology. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.
Plomin, R. (1994). Genetics and experience: The interplay between nature and nurture. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Plomin, R. (2004). Nature and nurture: An introduction to human behavioral genetics. Boston: Wadsworth Publishing.
Plomin, R. (2018). Blueprint: How DNA makes us who we are. London: Allen Lane (2019 paperback; Penguin Press).
Plomin, R., DeFries, J. C., & Fulker, D. (2006). Nature and nurture during infancy and early childhood. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press.
Plomin, R., DeFries, J. C., Knopik, V. S., & Neiderhiser, J. N. (2017). Behavioral genetics (7th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.
Plomin, R., DeFries, J. C., McGuffin, P., & Craig, I. W. (Eds.). (2002). Behavioral genetics in the postgenomic era. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Reiss, D., Neiderhiser, J. M., Hetherington, E. M., & Plomin, R. (2003). The relationship code: Deciphering genetic and social influences on adolescent development (adolescent lives). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
References
Aaronovitch, D. (2018, September 29). Robert Plomin interview—Why genetic testing is the future. The Times. Retrieved from https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/robert-plomin-interview-why-genetic-testing-is-the-future-m2gcskpkv.
Comfort, N. (2018). Genetic determinism rides again. Nature, 561, 461–463.
Dias, B. G., & Ressler, K. J. (2013). Parental olfactory experience influences behavior and neural structure in subsequent generations. Nature Neuroscience, 17(1), 89–96.
Gottfredson, L. S. (1994, December 13). Mainstream science on intelligence: An editorial. Wall Street Journal.
Herrnstein, R. J., & Murray, C. (1994). The bell curve: Intelligence and class structure in American life. New York: The Free Press.
Painter, R. C., Osmond, C., Gluckman, P., et al. (2008). Transgenerational effects of prenatal exposure to the Dutch famine on neonatal adiposity and health in later life. An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gyneacology, 115(10), 1243–1249.
Plomin, R. (2018). Blueprint: How DNA makes us who we are. London: Allen Lane.
Plomin, R., DeFries, J. C., Knopik, V. S., & Neiderhiser, J. M. (2016). Top 10 replicated findings from behavioral genetics. Behavioral Genetics: Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(1), 3–23.
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Witkowski, T. (2020). Robert Plomin: Behavioral Genetics. In: Shaping Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50003-0_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50003-0_7
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