 | Term | Definition |
| |
environment |
every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us |
| |
behavior genetics |
study of the relative power and limits of genetic environmental influences on behavior |
| |
chromosomes |
threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes |
| |
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) |
complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes |
| |
genes |
biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein |
| |
genome |
complete instructions for making an organism |
| |
identical twins |
twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms |
| |
fraternal twins |
twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs |
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temperament |
person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity |
| |
heritability |
proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes |
| |
interaction |
effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity) |
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natural selection |
principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on succeeding generations |
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mutation |
random error in gene replication that leads to a change |
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gender |
biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people are defined male or female |
| |
culture |
enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next |
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norm |
understood rule for accepted and expected behavior |
| |
personal space |
buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies |
| |
individualism |
giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identification |
| |
collectivism |
giving priority to the goals of one's group (family, group) and defining one's identity accordingly |
| |
aggression |
physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone |
| |
X chromosome |
sex chromosome found in both men and women |
| |
Y chromosome |
sex chromosome only found in males |
| |
testosterone |
most important of the male sex hormones; additional testosterone in males stimulates grown of sex organs |
| |
role |
set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position out to behave |
| |
gender role |
set of expected behaviors for males and for females |
| |
gender identity |
one's sense of being male or female |
| |
gender-typing |
acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role |
| |
social learning theory |
learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished |
| |
gender schema theory |
children learn from their cultures a concept of what it means to be male and female and how they adjust their behaviors accordingly |
