Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of boxes
- Preface to the third edition
- Preface to the second edition
- Preface to the first edition
- Part I The nature of personality traits
- Part II Causes of personality traits
- 6 Genes, environments and personality traits
- 7 The psychobiology of traits
- 8 The social psychology of traits
- Part III Consequences and applications
- 14 Conclusions
- References
- Author index
- Subject index
- References
6 - Genes, environments and personality traits
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of boxes
- Preface to the third edition
- Preface to the second edition
- Preface to the first edition
- Part I The nature of personality traits
- Part II Causes of personality traits
- 6 Genes, environments and personality traits
- 7 The psychobiology of traits
- 8 The social psychology of traits
- Part III Consequences and applications
- 14 Conclusions
- References
- Author index
- Subject index
- References
Summary
Introduction
The structure of personality traits shows consistency across different groups of people in different cultures. Furthermore, traits are stable across time, and there is evidence to indicate that some of them may have a tractable biological basis. Therefore, it seems reasonable to enquire to what extent individual differences in personality traits are caused by genetic and environmental factors.
There is the tendency to see this as a difficult area, because biometric behaviour geneticists and molecular genetics researchers both use advanced statistical techniques and specialised jargon. This chapter introduces, in a non-technical way, the main study designs and findings in these areas. Studies of twins and adopted people can indicate the relative proportion of genetic and environmental influence on personality traits. Molecular genetic studies try to discover which individual genes might influence personality. Genetics researchers make some surprising contributions. For example, genetic studies can make a contribution to the study of personality change, and even the genetic contribution to personality traits may change with age or over time. Genetic studies are just as informative about the environmental factors that influence personality traits. Plomin, Asbury and Dunn (2001) commented that ‘behavioural-genetic research provides the best available evidence for the importance of environmental influences’ (p. 225).
Once it has been established that traits are in part inherited, we might start to ask how genetic variability in personality relates to the evolutionary processes that have influenced human nature (Buss, 1999).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Personality Traits , pp. 153 - 186Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009