genetics of personality
dgmacarthur | August 6, 2009CNN reports:
At the Chongqing Children's Palace, experts are hoping to revolutionize child-rearing with the help of science. About 30 children aged 3 to 12 years old and their parents are participating in a new program that uses DNA testing to identify genetic gifts and predict the future.
The test is conducted by the Shanghai Biochip Corporation. Scientists claim a simple saliva swab collects as many as 10,000 cells that enable them to isolate eleven different genes. By taking a closer look at the genetic codes, they say they can extract information about a child's IQ, emotional control,…
dgmacarthur | March 25, 2009Neuroscientists Sam Wang and Sandra Aamodt have a guest post on Olivia Judson's NY Times blog discussing the complex interplay between genes and environment in the determination of personality traits. A taste:
So some of the effects that we call "genetic" (or "nature") are the
indirect result of people being drawn to particular environments
because of their personality. Or to put it another way, some
"environmental" (or "nurture") effects are actually attributable to
genetic tendencies.
It's worth noting that similar effects can occur for other traits: for instance, a genetic variant that…