Issues raised by Better Baby Institute Video

n    Nature/Nurture

n   What is the institute’s view?

n    Can environmental stimulation increase brain growth? 

n   What is an ideal environment?

n    Is there a critical period before 5 years

n   Can you generalize from language?

n    What is “good parenting”?

n    Impact of the media?

 

What is meant by Nature/Nurture?

n    It is the distinction between:

n   Genotype: the actual coded information contained in the genes and DNA

n   Phenotype: What actually emerges or gets expressed

n    THIS IS ALWAYS AN INTERACTION BETWEEN NATURE (GENES) AND THE ENVIRONMENT (NURTURE)

What is meant by Nature/Nurture

n    For example:

 

It’s all in the genes!

What Causes Genetic Variability
(Why ugly parents can have pretty kids)

n    Process of Meiosis:

 

 

Meiosis and Genetic Variability

What causes genetic variability?

n    Which sperm fertilizes which egg

 

Genetic Variability and Cross-Overs

Genetic Variability

n    Mutations

n    Chromosomal Abnormalities

 

Phenotype Variability
(The expression of genes)

n    Mendelian Principles

n    Dominant vs. Recessive Genes

 

Expression of Genotypes: The Epigenetic View

n    The expression of phenotypes actively depends on the continuous interaction of the genotype and the environment.

n    Penetrance: The probability that a genotype will be expressed can vary from 0% to 100%

n   For example, we all have potentially fatal genes that fortunately never get expressed because the environmental conditions are not ideal

 

The Epigenetic View

n      Reaction Ranges: Genotypes can have different ranges of phenotypic expression: The notion that the human being’s genetic makeup establishes a range of possible developmental outcomes, within which environmental forces largely determine how the person actually develops.

 

 

 

The Epigenetic View

n    Canalization: The genetic tendency to normalize development for specie survival

n   E.G., There are genetic limits on how much variability can be caused by environmental differences

 

Population Genetics

n    We can get an idea of the relative impact of nature and nurture at the population level by studying family relationships.

Population Genetics

n    Remember: this is for a population—you can’t generalize or predict anything about an individual

What is the Environment?

n    The Family (A dynamic system)

n   Parenting Behaviors and Styles

n   Social Economic Status (SES)

n   Micro-Environments: Individual interactions

n    Communities

n    Schools

n    Peers

 

What is the environment?