psych 645

Burton, western & Kowaslki (2015) describes Personality as the enduring patterns of thought, feeling, motivation and behaviour that are expressed in different circumstances. In other words it can be defined as differences in characteristics in a person, including their way of thinking, likes, dislikes, sociability, openness, feelings and behaviour, which make them the person they are and differentiates them from others. All these traits when brought together is known to be the personality of that particular person.

Table 3-1 examines the correlations between selected characteristics for the identical twins separated at birth and the twins raised together. When compared to each other, they both have very similar brain wave activity, blood pressure and heart rate in the physiological characteristics. The Raven intelligence test was very similar, but the WAIS IQ displayed a bit of difference when compared to the other comparisons made. Personality wise, they typically had similar personalities at the same rate as twins raised together. Psychological interests were off a little bit, but still very similar. The twins that were separated at birth had less similar psychological interests compared to the twins

"Twins have a special claim upon our attention; it is, that their history affords means of distinguishing between the effects of tendencies received at birth, and those that were imposed by the special circumstances of their after lives." says Sir Francis Galton, 19th century behavioral genetics pioneer. Researchers have used twin studies to try to figure out the genetic backgrounds of an abundance of traits, from determination to intelligence to bizarre to alcohol dependence.

Chapter 10 is over personality. Personality is described as a pattern of enduring, distinctive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that characterize the way an individual adapts to the world. The book goes over psychodynamic perspectives, trait perspectives, personological and life story perspectives, social cognitive perspectives, and biological perspectives.

Identical twins may share the same DNA make up and grow up in the same household, yet they have very distinct personalities. On the other hand, twins that may have been separated at birth, find that years later when they meet up for the first time that they have very similar character traits and experiences. Researchers have been trying to figure out for years if DNA or environment has a bigger factor in determining a twin’s personality. When researchers try to determine how personalities are developed, they often look to twin studies to determine if DNA or life experiences are influential in personality development.

In reading stories about identical twins my point of view is easily understood. Various types of psychologist have analyzed the study of identical twins. It shows that individuals with the same genetic make-up can be totally different, when it comes to personality. Nurture promotes the twins to grow up as separate individuals. Its a lot better if a twin has his or her own personality rather than the same exact personality of the other half. I think this great debate weighs heavier on the nurture side. As a child my parents, and sibling overshadowed my genetic make-up. No matter how much I thought my physical traits made me behave. It did not affect me more than the things that I had seen and been exposed to. The more things that I had seen around and experienced made me the person that I am today. If my genetic make-up was totally different, to a certain extent, I am sure that I?d behave the same way that I do presently. There are exceptions to that. For instance if I were six foot five and one hundred and ninety pounds, I?d most likely be in the NBA and be really rich. I think if I was really rich and in the NBA I wouldn?t have the same worries that I have today. Even if before I were in the NBA I would have lots of attention and have a lot more confidence. So to an extent I would change a little if my genetic make-up were different. In a sense, genetic make-up is just a competitor to the environmental factors

Twin studies are a vitally important tool for dissecting the nature versus nurture argument. Twins provide a naturally occurring experiment and they are most likely the best indicator of determining whether biology effects traits and psychopathology in human beings. Researchers are seeking circumstances involving twins providing evidence of known variations in the extent of genetic similarity or environmental stability. The key factor in utilizing twin studies to determine biological basis for personality differences exist among identical twins and fraternal twins. These studies provide data among the individuals that are genetically identical but yet, display visible differences that may be attributed to environmental differences. Additionally, researchers used such studies involving

One of the most extensive investigation of twins raised in separate homes is the Minnesota Study of Twins reared apart, which over the past 20 years has studied hundreds of twin pairs who were separated early in life (Bouchard, 1994; Finkel et al., 1995). This study, like others of its kind, has consistently found such striking psychological and behavioral similarities between monozygotic twins that the important role of genes in personality development can no longer be denied.

Throughout history, across all cultures, people have been fascinated with twins. In addition to interest in the close emotional ties and biological similarities that twins may share, reports of special twin languages and twin extrasensory perception (ESP) help people to explore ideas of what it means to be human. How similar or different are they to each other? How important are genes and environment for development? Because identical twins share all of their genes, it is the environment—rather than genetics—that accounts for any differences between them.

Studies have shown that identical twins have similar behaviour and task performance (Delvin, 2015), and this is often attributed to having identical DNA. However, it is often overlooked that they were brought up in the same home, by the same caretakers? Although we might have a gene for a certain trait such as intelligence for example, if we are nurtured in an environment that encourages hard work and positivity, good academic performance can also be achieved (James, 2008). All these are but a drop in the ocean of the examples of physical traits that are contributed by both nature and

Personalities are like snowflakes, no two are exactly identical. Unlike snowflakes however, there are many different reasons as to what makes personalities different and other factors that may help shape them. The classic argument that arises is the nature versus nurture debate, which argues that either genetics or the environment is what helps shape an individual. However, a few other determinants are mentioned in the textbook include genetic, environmental, culture, social class, family, and peers (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). Each one of these factors applies differently to each individual even if two people are exposed to the same factors such as family or social class. What causes the differences and similarities in personalities can help explain why siblings have varying personalities even when being exposed to similar environments and situations.

The second explanation is genetics. Research done on twin studies found that identical twins that were raised apart were more statistically similar to each other. A meta-analysis was done that concluded that forty percent of variance in personality can be attributed to genetics. The third explanation of

I would define personality as what makes each individual different. Each human being’s personality is as unique as they are. While most people define personality to describe another’s more apparent characteristics, psychologists use personality to try to give reason to similar

Personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that gives both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior (Feist & Feist, 2008).

From these studies, researchers have found that twins who have grown up in the same household share similarities in the way they think, act, dress, speak, etcetera. However, with the first type of twin studies, researchers could not differentiate whether the similarities were due to them having identical/similar genetic makeups or growing up in the same environments. Therefore, in order for psychologists to know whether similarities in twins are genetic or socially influenced, they studied twins who grew up in completely different households and environments. The study showed that despite growing up with a different family and in a different environment, they still had noticeable similarities in fashion, interests, and thought processes (K.W. Brown, personal communication, August 29, 2017). Twin studies, as well as other studies, have greatly contributed to our understanding of overall role that genes play in the development of psychological traits and behavior.