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Module 1.1

infants ( Loehlin et al., 200 7; van IJzendoorn & Juffer, 2006 ; Wierzbicki, 1993 ). Seven in eight
®
adopted children have reported feeling strongly attached to one or both adoptive parents. AP Science Practice
As children of self-giving parents, they grow up to be more self-giving and unselfish than Research
average ( Sharma et al., 1998 ). Many score higher than their biological parents and raised-
apart biological siblings on intelligence tests, and most grow into happier and more stable Results such as “seven in eight
adopted children have reported
adults ( Kendler et al., 2015b ; van IJzendoorn et al., 2005 ). In one Swedish study, children feeling strongly attached to one or
adopted as infants grew up with fewer problems than were experienced by children whose both adoptive parents” indicate the
biological mothers initially registered them for adoption but then decided to raise the chil- descriptive research method. The
purpose of the descriptive method
dren themselves ( Bohman & Sigvardsson, 1990 ). The bottom line: Most adopted children is to observe and record behavior.
benefit from adoption. You can revisit Unit 0 to review
basic research methods.
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Not for redistribution.

®
AP Science Practice Check Your Understanding
Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
Examine the Concept Apply the Concept
▶ Explain how researchers use twin ▶ Do you know biological siblings who,
and adoption studies to learn about despite having been raised together, have
psychological principles. very different personalities? (Are you one The New Yorker Collection, 2003, Michael Shaw
of these siblings, perhaps?) Knowing from cartoonbank.com. All Rights Reserved
what you do of their lives and upbringing,
what do you think contributed to these
differences?
Answers to the Examine the Concept questions can be found in Appendix C at the end of the book. “The title of my science project is

‘My Little Brother: Nature or Nurture.’”

Gene–Environment Interaction

1.1-4
edity and envir
onment work together?

How do her

1.1-4 How do heredity and environment work together?
Among our similarities, the most important — the behavioral hallmark of our species — is
our enormous adaptive capacity. Some human traits develop the same way in virtually every
environment. But other traits are expressed only in particular environments. Go barefoot interaction the interplay that
for a summer and you will develop toughened, callused feet — a biological adaptation to occurs when the effect of one
friction. Meanwhile, your neighbor who wears shoes will remain a tenderfoot. The differ- factor (such as environment)
ence between the two of you is an effect of environment. But it is the product of a biological depends on another factor (such
as heredity).

mechanism — adaptation. To say that genes and experience are both important is true. But
more precisely, they interact .
Just how our genes and our experiences interact to form us as unique individuals
is one of the hottest topics in psychology today. Gene– environment interaction stud-
ies are revealing, for example, who
is most at risk of permanent harm An out-of-this-world study of
from stress or abuse and who is genes and environments In
2015, Scott Kelly (left) spent 340 days
most likely to benefit from inter- orbiting the planet in the International
ventions ( Byrd et al., 2019 ; Manuck Space Station. His identical twin, Mark
& McCaffery, 2014 ). The National Kelly (right), remained on Earth. Both
twins underwent the same physical
Institutes of Health’s (NIH’s) All of and psychological testing ( Garrett-
Us research program is now study- Bakelman et al., 2019 . Only Scott
)
ing 1 million people to pinpoint Derek Storm/Splash News/Newscom Kelly’s immune system temporarily
precisely how their genes and envi- went into overdrive, possibly due to
the stresses of living in space and
ronment together predict physical exposure to greater-than-average
and mental health ( NIH, 2019 ). levels of radiation.

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