What is behavioral genetics and what is its object of study?

Why are we different?, Why do we act in one way and others? , Why are we so similar to our parents, our grandparents?, Why do we bring pathologies from birth?.

These questions have acommon denominator from the biological point of viewand has to do withhuman genetics. The traits with which we are born, the behavior we show, there are even various diseases that we bring, are inherited.

The answers to these questions arestudied bybehavioral genetics. Below, in this article we will share everything you need to know about behavioral genetics.

What is behavioral genetics?

Behavioral genetics considered a science, studies how our genes have been able and can determine our behavior, psychological and behavioral traits in us and our descendants.

Its origins date back to the research carried out by Charles Darwin’s cousin(1), Francis Galton(2), who was the first scientist tostudy the influence of heredityon the psychological and behavioral characteristics of the human being. His work “The Hereditary Genius”, was the beginning of work on behavioral genetics.

To highlight: The genetics of behavior has had an important development, howeverits evolution has been marked by controversiesin the field of psychology, but this situation has changed over the years.

On the other hand, behavioral genetics began its first steps as a result of some articles that appeared in the 60s, based onstudies of twins and adoption, whose proponents drew attention to the relevance thatgenetic factors could have in relation to IQ and some psychopathologies such as schizophrenia.

What does behavioral genetics study?

Behavioral geneticshas many interests in the study of human behaviorand among the main ones we have:

1. Trait inheritance

There is a phenomenon that we normally call Genetic inheritance(3)Throughout the development(ontogeny)of the subject,behavior arises in a complex mannerwheregenotype(4)and environment interact permanently through non-linear processes. ()

Note: In order to understand and establish the differences between subjects due to the specific effects of the environment, you must first manage a correct interpretation of what heredity implies .

2. Behavioral disorders

Indeed, population genetics studies of on homozygous and heterozygous twins , blood siblings, and adoption siblings have provided valuable tools for understanding the influence of genes on behavioral phenomena .

The consequence is the appearance of a a pathological condition that is expressed in a certain way, which we call “syndrome”.

The pathology is frequently expressed as a specific form of genetic alteration, which usually involves the cognitive dimension and the , which usually involves the cognitive dimension and the behavioral and adaptive dimension of the psychological sphere, and which is incorporated into the genetic causes of intellectual disability.

3. Personality

The most important conclusions derived from the literature indicate that almost all cognitive skills show an Appreciable Genetic Influence influence and that the influence of the environment, after childhood, is not significant.

Noteworthy: Studies suggest a 40% heritability for emotionality and 25% for activity levels and sociability (Loehlin and Nichols 1976).

3. Learning and perception

Psychological characteristics, including the cognitive functions Essential for learning, are partially heritable (6)tag. It is concluded that geneticsconditions what we are capable of learning learn and the way in which we can learn it.

Likewise, , the the way in which we appreciate the environment is individualized , it is specific to each person and the cause of this individualization is the influence of genetic factors.

4. Intelligence and memory

Intelligence has been the Most studied traitin behavior genetics. Intelligence has been understoodas what the tests measure tag. The set of data obtained with different methods point to a heritability of IQ around 0.50.

Important: According to statements in an interview by Robert Plomin (7) , this means that genetic differences between individuals would account for approximately half of the differences in the ability of individuals to perform the tests.

On the other hand, memory is an integral part of the the psychological processes of the individual , and biologically it is present if the conditions of the biological system depend on its past. If this memory is recorded in the genetic material and inheritance is established through cell division, it is considered genetic.

5. Motivation and emotion

Another of the study objects of Behavioral GeneticsAreemotionstag. It is understood by an emotion, a a feeling that is born from the impressions of the senses, ideas or memories and and that presents a notable organic alteration, always composed of a cognitive factor and a physiological one.

The physiological factor is due to the expression of genes in neurons tag. It is known that some of the emotions, , such as tension, sadness and their consequent stress, translate Physiological Alterations.

Note: After the chronic permanence of these physiological alterations, they can give rise to Characteristic Pathological manifestations and and these in turn can further alter the emotions and thus create a vicious circle.

What are the characteristics of behavioral genetics?

The characteristics included in this section are more related to the genetic content of the individual, rather than to the environment itself that influences it:

1. Study the influence of genes on behavior

In an article written by Fabio Salamanca Gómez, ““Genes and human behavior”(8) , he talks about how the purpose of behavioral genetics is  to elucidate the participation of genes in behavior .

2. Analyze the human genetic code

To understand how Genetic factors participate in the configuration of human behavior, it is necessary to delve into the structure and functioning of DNA . DNA is organized by information molecules called genes. This is done through genetics.

You should know: A gene is the is physical and functional unit of heredity , which is passed from parents to children. In recent years, through molecular biology techniques, DNA fragments and genes that are suspected to be involved in certainbehavioral disorders, psychopathologies and genetic mutations have been identified . (9)

3. Includes visible behaviors, cognitive aspects and personality

Behavioral genetics focuses its research on the the behavioral manifestations of individuals , , the characteristics of their memory, language, perception, thought and attention, as well as the traits and qualities that shape the way of being of a person and differentiate them. of the others.

4. Analyze the influence of the environment on behavior

Inherited biological traits are analyzed in the context in which they develop and are manifested tag. Behavioral genetics affirms that inherited characteristics require a similar environment in order to manifest in the offspring.

5. Animal and human studies are conducted

Various publications have referred to investigations that have been carried out in animals and humans tag. The literature establishes that studies using animal models provide more precise data, since the variables (genes and environment) can be manipulated and controlled in the laboratory.

6. It draws on other scientific disciplines

What are the methods of behavioral genetics?

Behavior genetics researchers have understood that hereditary factors are involved in many behaviors, including cognitive abilities, personality, and psychopathology .

For this, this, this science has built methods and procedures (scientific method) to carry out its investigations with a quantitative approach, among which we mention:

1. Twin study

They were used by Galton in the year 1876, and it is based on the comparison of identical and different twins tag. It separates the genetic causes from the environmental ones in the origin and development of behavior.

Note: This type of study compares or attempts to compare the behavior of monozygotic and dizygotic twins in similar environments.

2. Adoption study

It involves studying genetically genetically related individuals , such as identical twins living apart and unrelated individuals living together.

To highlight: It is a way of separating genetic causes from environmental ones tag. The basis of the study consists in making observations of genetically related individuals who do not share a common family environment or of individuals who do not share a genetic relationship who share the same environment.

3. Family study

They are those studies that are carried out in the same family group, parents, children, siblings tag. Observations are made of the behavior of the descendants of that family group, who are genetically related.

What is the Importance of Behavioral Genetics?

Today, there are few behavior professionals, and perhaps few professionals from other disciplines, who can reject and discuss the contributions that behavior genetics has given us in recent years.

In this sense, the most complete and exhaustive studiescarried out bybehavioral genetics based onadoptions, applied to the inheritance of intelligence and other cognitive abilities, demonstrate without a doubt theheritability of genetic characteristics.

Important: Thanks to behavioral genetics, we know that the vast majority of behaviors studied in psychology are influenced by the particular geneticsof the individual, so it is interesting to study to what extent they affect a specific behavior.

Key Findings

• Behavioral genetics studies how our genes have been able and candetermine our behavior.
• Behavioral geneticsaddresses the psychological and behavioral traitsin us and our descendants.
• It studies theinfluence of genes on behaviorand analyzes the human genetic code.
• Behavioral geneticsincludes visible behaviors, cognitive and personality aspects, and analyzes the influence of the environment on behavior.
• Behavioral genetics has many interests in thestudy of trait inheritance, behavioral disorders, personality, learning and perception, intelligence and memory, motivation and emotion.