Heredity and Hormones
Heredity and hormones both can affect an individual’s emotional life, learning, and behavior. The nervous system and the endocrine system are the two major systems that regulate behavior and the mental processes. The endocrine system is made up of glands that secrete chemical substances called hormones that help regulate body functions. Heredity is the passing of traits from a parent to their offspring. Hormones can also have dramatic effects on mood, the ability to learn, emotional reactions, and even the ability to resist disease. The endocrine system is a very complex system that consists of organs such as the pineal, pituitary, parathyroid, thyroid, and adrenal glands; ovaries, testes, and the pancreas are also organs in the endocrine system. Determining how much heredity and genetics play a role in a person’s behavior brings up the old controversy of nature versus nurture. For years, scientists have attempted to identify specific genes that may be responsible for behaviors such as anxiety, shyness, depression, aggression, addiction and risk-taking. Studies involving twins have attempted to associate genetics and behavior. The much higher rate, demonstrated by identical twins, suggests that heredity plays a crucial role in schizophrenia. When one identical twin develops schizophrenia, the chances are about 50% that the other twin will also develop schizophrenia (Morris & Maisto, 2002, p, #82).
Behavior genetics is the branch of psychology that studies the role of genetics in behavior. The genes we inherit from our parents include a blueprint of a human brain. Each blueprint is a little different, which means that no two brains are exactly identical. Therefore, no two people will act alike, even in identical situations. Behavior geneticists study issues such as perception, learning, memory, emotions, motivation, personality, and psychological disorders. Genetic differences are only one of the causes...