Lecture 6: Behaviour Genetics, Intelligence and Language Flashcards
(18 cards)
Genes and Behaviour
____ → ____ → ____ → ____ → ____
Gene ~ trait
- ____
- ____
Gene & environments
- ____
- ____
Genetic variation
____
- ____
Genetic similarity→ trait similarity
(study)
- ____ and ____ are heritable
Gene → Protein → Structure of the nervous system → Biological process in the nervous system → Behavioural Trait
Gene ~ Traits
- Pleiotropy = One gene regulates many traits
- A trait is controlled by many genes (each contributes < 1%)
Gene ~ Environment
- Gene and Environment interact = Genes affect the likelihood of encountering environments and the response to environments
- Both gene and environment **contribute to behavioural trait
Genetic variation
~20 000 – 25 000 different genes
- Each gene may have multiple alleles with different functions
Genetic similarity→ trait similarity
<aside>
**Monozygotic** (100% identical genetically) more similar
**Dizygotic** (50% identical genetically) less similar
</aside>
- Psychological disorders & Psychological traits are heritable (e.g. personality, intelligence, ideology and religiosity)
Genes and Behaviour
Heritability (H²)
= ____
(equation)
Phenotypic variation (VP) = ____
- ____ : ____
- ____ : ____ and ____
- based on ____
- ____: ____
→ ____
Change of H² score over time
Early heritability estimates (before 2000) came from ____
→ ____ H² scores, ~___ – ___
Later estimates (after 2000) came from ____
→ ____ H² scores, ~___ – ___
→ ____ plays a bigger role
= the proportion of phenotypic variation explained by genetic factors (never 100%)
<aside>
**Phenotypic variation (VP) =** traits variation within a population
**VG =** Genetic Factors
**VE =** Environmental Factors
</aside>
- Mathematical abstraction: doesn’t exist
- Estimate: can be inaccurate or misleading
- Based on certain assumptions
-
Context-specific: estimates in one group may not apply
to another group
→ Great care should be taken when working with heritability scores!
Change of H² score over time
Early heritability estimates (before 2000) came from twin studies
→ Higher H² scores, ~0.4 – 0.5
Later estimates (after 2000) came from molecular heritability
→ Lower H² scores, ~0.1 – 0.2
→ Environment plays a bigger role
Genes and Behaviour
Why do traits become common?
Certain traits associated with ____ are “____”
Reproductive fitness = ____
e.g. ____ in epidemics;
Sexual selection = ____
Certain traits associated with Reproductive fitness are “selected for”
Reproductive fitness = an organism’s ability to survive, reproduce, and pass on its genes to the next generation)
e.g. Disease resistance traits in epidemics;
Sexual selection = Physical features (e.g. eye colour)attractive to potential mates
Intelligence
= ____
- ____ variable
= The capacity to acquire & apply knowledge and skills
- Conceptual variable
Intelligence
g theory
= ____
⚠️ any ability = ____ + ____ (____)
(graph)
→ High g ____.
Discovering g: ____
= ____
For any individual, performance in different subjects and cognitive tests are ____
(R values range from ____)
→ ____
= General intelligence factor influencing all abilities
⚠️ability = g + s (specific factor specific to one ability)
→ High g doesn’t guarantee being good at everything
Discovering g: Factor analysis
= a statistical method used **to identify whether there is a general factor influencing several variables
For any individual, performance in different subjects and cognitive tests are positively correlated
(R values range from moderate to strong 0.3 – 0.8)
→ general factor (the G factor) driving all test
Intelligence
Measuring g
____ test = ____ + ____
Considerations for a cognitive test
- ____ and ____ (____)/____
- ____
Distribution of WAIS Test
- normal distribution (⚠️ ____ skewed in real life due to ____)
Central tendency: M = ____
Variability: SD = ____; ____% scores between 1 SD
Ability to evaluate ourselves
____ (r = ____)
____ effect = ____
____ → ____
____ → ____
- criticized recently due to ____
Measuring g
WAIS testing = Verbal IQ + Performance IQ
Raven’s Matrices = Recognizing patterns
Considerations for a cognitive test
- Culture-fair and non-verbal/in native language
- IQ tests developed for one group may not apply well to another
Distribution of WAIS Test
Normal distribution (⚠️negatively skewed in real life due to disability)
Central tendency: M = 100,
Variability: SD = 15; ~68% scores between 1 SD
Ability to evaluate ourselves
Poor (r ~ 0.2)
Dunning-Kruger effect = smart people think they are dumb, dumb people think they are smart
People with high cognitive ability are able to recognize their limitation and mistakes → lower confidence
People with lower cognitive ability can’t → inflated confidence
- Criticized recently due to inability to replicate
Intelligence
**Why do people care about IQ: Intelligence as a predictor **
IQ ~ success
____’s study
children (____) with high IQ (~____) were tracked ____ years and are _____
⚠️ IQ and other standardized tests are useful predictors of success, but the strength of prediction ____
IQ ~ profession
Association to ____ and ____
- Association stronger in ____ and ____ jobs
IQ ~ Other things
____ correlated with ____, _____ and ____.
____ correlated with ____ and ____
____ correlated with ____ and ____ correlated with ____
____ relationship with ____ (measured by ____)
Low IQ → ____
Moderate IQ → ____
Very high IQ → ____
____ correlation with ____
IQ ~ success
Terman’s Study
Children (Termites) with a high IQ (mean IQ ~ 150) were tracked for 50+ years and are quite successful
IQ ~ profession
Association to profession (job) and the performance within that profession (job performance)
- Associations with performance stronger for highly complex challenging jobs (e.g. medical doctors)
IQ ~ Other things
Positively correlated with longevity and height/weight
→ third factor: better access to nutrition?
Negatively correlated with criminal behaviour and divorce rate
→ high IQ ≠ morally good: better at getting away with their crime?
third factors…
Modestly correlated with income (r = 0.30) and weakly with wealth (0.16)
→ high IQ ≠ obsession of getting the best job possible;
Many other traits play a role in income & wealth
Curvilinear relationship with leadership (measured by leadership perception)
Low IQ → worse leadership
Moderate IQ → best leadership
Very high IQ → leadership perception goes down again
→ Third factor: Others may
Feel Alienated by extremely abstract or complex thinking;
See high-IQ individuals as less relatable;
Misinterpret clear or confident reasoning as arrogance or oddness
Positive correlation with mental illness
→ Intelligence as a tradeoff
Intelligence
Genes, the environment and intelligence
Genetic factor
H² = ____ – ____, increasing with____
why?
____ = ____
____
____
____ = ____
Environmental factor
The ____’s effect = ____
→ Suggest environmental factors (e.g. ____, ____, ____, ____)
effect may be ____ due to ____
Asymptote = _____
→ ____
→ ____
→ ____
Effects of Poor Environments
1. ____
____ =
- ____
- ____
- ____ vs ____
The power of mindset
Some believe intelligence is an ____ whereas others believe intelligence is ____ (____ mindset)
Those with growth mindset may
____
____
____
Dweck (the original researcher) has led ____, others ____.
Genetic factors
H² = 0.4 – 0.8, increasing with age
Why?
- Amplification = The effects of early genetic differences grow stronger over timeGenes attract individuals to IQ-enhancing activities (e.g. reading)Genes maximize environmental benefits (e.g. more plasticity)
- Innovation = Genes for IQ emerge later in life
Environmental factor
The Flynn Effect = IQ scores increased over ~50 years too rapidly for genetic cause
→ Suggest environmental factors (e.g. nutrition, home change, world complexity, test complexity)
- Flynn effect may be reversing due to “asymptote”
Asymptote = ceiling of environmental benefits
→ Greatly enriched environments do not seem beneficial
→ Most interventions (e.g. cognitive training, brain games) don’t improve IQ in the long run
→ Parenting strategies generally have weak influences
Effects of Poor Environments
- PovertyScarcity Mentality = poverty and stressed about poverty impair cognition; poor cognition in turn lead to further poverty and stress
- Pollution (e.g. Lead poisoning) impair cognition
- Social isolation and remote/digital education in children (e.g. during COVID-19) may impair cognition
- Fostering vs. institutional care
The power of mindset
Some believe intelligence is an innate whereas others believe intelligence is malleable (Growth mindset)
Those with growth mindset may
exert more effort;
take on new challenges;
respond better to mistakes
- Dweck (the original researcher) has led successful replications, others have struggled to do so
Intelligence
Genes, the environment and intelligence
Info Processing
Higher IQ = ____ and ____
→ ____ → _____
Neural Correlations
IQ correlates with ____, ____, ____, ____
- ____
- ____
- ____
Info Processing
Higher IQ = shorter reaction time (RT) and better brain efficiency
→ better focus → less brain activity under cognitive load
Neural Correlations
IQ correlates with White matter integrity, Brain size, Neuron count, Cortical thickness
- Cortical thickness declines with age
- Speed declines before accuracy in aging
- Education protects against cognitive decline with age
Intelligence
Criticisms of Intelligence Testing
1. ____: ____
2. ____: ____
3. ____
4. ____: ____
5. ____ movement: ____
- Restricted range: IQ more predictive at lower scores
- Circularity: IQ predicts success in school or work partly because schools/jobs structured like IQ tests
- High Test Variability: IQ test results can vary by day, motivation, stress, or test type
- Inconsistent Matthew Effect (the rich get richer): People with high IQ scores do not always learn faster
- Eugenics movement: campaign that aimed to “improve” the genetic quality of the human population by promoting reproduction among people with desired traits and discouraging or forcibly preventing it among those deemed “unfit.”
Intelligence
Alternative Theories of Intelligence
Crystallized vs. Fluid Intelligence (Cattel and Horn’s model)
Crystallized: ____
Fluid: ____
Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory
= ____, ____, ____
Criticism
- ____
- ____
- ____
Gardner’s Eight Intelligences
Criticisms
1. ____
2. ____
3. ____
Crystallized vs. Fluid Intelligence (Cattel and Horn’s model)
Crystallized: accumulated knowledge (e.g. vocabulary)
Fluid: problem-solving and reasoning ability
Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory
= Analytical (measured by IQ test) , Practical, Creative
Criticisms
- Practical intelligence overlaps with g
- Difficult to prove a causal relationship between job
performance and practical intelligence - Most researchers consider creativity and intelligence separately
Gardner’s Eight Intelligences
Criticisms
- No criteria defines a specific intelligence
- No tests: unfalsifiable, no predictive power
- Overlaps with g
Intelligence
Emotional intelligence
Ability to ____, ____, ____, ____ emotions.
→ contributes to ____
Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT)
4 Branches: ____, ____, ____, ____
- ____
- ____
- ____
- ____
Ability to perceive, understand, facilitate, and manage emotions
→ contributes to success (e.g. leadership roles, caretaking roles, relationships)
Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT)
4 Branches: perceiving emotion, understanding emotion, facilitating thought with emotion, managing emotion
- Controversial concept
- Difficult to define and study
- Modestly predicts performance/relationships
- Research still relatively new
Language
= ____ that combines ____ (____and ____) in ____ to ____
- used to ____ and ____
- give us capacity to ____ and ____.
- Affect our ____
Language learning
language learning is ____ for human
→ ____
- acquired via ____, ____, ____ and ____.
= Arbitrary system of communication that combines symbols (words or gestural signs) in rule-based ways to create meaning
- Used to record and transmit information
- Gives us with the capacity to define and solve complex problems
- Affects our reproductive fitness
Learning Language
Language learning is biologically prepared for human
→ Even when a language is absent in a population, that population may go on to develop one (e.g. Nicaraguan sign language in 1970s)
- Acquired via observational learning, experimentation, reinforcement and shaping
Language
Language Components
Phonemes: ____
Morphemes: ____
Syntax: ____
Context: ____
Phonemes
____ meaning
The dictionary of ____ = ____
____ = ____
____ = ____
____ meaning
____ = ____ - ____ association
Syntax
Correct syntax does not always result in ____
Phonemes: sound units
Morphemes: smallest meaningful units (i.e. word)
Syntax: rules for sentence structure (i.e. grammar)
Context: helps interpretation
Phonemes
Phonemes have inherent emotional meaning (/l/ = soft, /r/ = harsh)
Dictionary of affect = emotional ratings to words
Valence = how positive or negative a word feels
Arousal = how activating or calming a word is
Phonemes have inherent symbolic meaning
Sound Symbolism = sounds - shapes association
Syntax
Correct syntax does not always result in comprehensible language
Language
Language and the Brain
Language lateralization
Language (both ____ and ____) are lateralized to the ____ hemisphere for ____ of people
- ____ lateralization
- ____ test test lateralization
language involves many brain area
Broca’s aphasia =
Wernicke’s aphasia =
Alexia =
Dyslexia =
Pure aphasias are ___, mixed aphasias are ____
Language lateralization
Language (both spoken and signed languages) is lateralized to the left hemisphere in 70 –90% of people
- most notable case of lateralization
- Wada Test test how language is lateralized
Language involves many brain areas
Broca’s aphasia = difficulty in speech fluency
Wernicke’s aphasia = difficulty in both production & comprehension
Alexia = difficulty reading
Dyslexia = difficulty learning to read
Pure aphasias are rare, mixed aphasias are more common
Language
Language Development in Children
~ 3 months ____
~ 10 to 12 months ____
- ____
~ 2 year ____ (late talkers ____)
Abnormal in ____
Sensitive periods for language
____ easiest ____ challenging
→ due to ____ (____) and ____ (____)
Generally believed, but ____
~7 months; babbling that lacks meaning
~10 – 12 months, common words emerge
- may be altered/simplified
~ 2 years, full sentence (late talkers exist)
Abnormal in autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
Sensitive periods for language
Acquisition easiest at 3 – 7 years of age, challenging after ~18 years
→ Due to Motivation (can’t survive) & Context (intensive emersion)
- Generally believed, but difficult to test
Bilingualism
____ of the world is bilingual
In North America, rates are lower (____)
Early research suggested that bilingual children had ____ performance
Current research suggests bilinguals have ____ cognitive abilities
~50% of the world is bilingual
In North America, rates are lower (~20%)
Early research suggested that bilingual children had poor performance
Current research suggests bilinguals have better cognitive abilities
Language
Language Affect the How We Think?
Saphir-Whorf hypothesis = _____
- Not strongly supported because _____
_____
_____
But it is clear that our _____.
(i.e. social psychology)
Saphir-Whorf hypothesis = the structure of a language determines a native speaker’s perception and categorization of experience
- Not strongly supported because very difficult to testCannot separate language from culture
it’s hard to teach language in a lab
But it is clear that our learned social attitudes influence our thoughts (i.e. social psychology)
