Modern Wisdom #353 - Robert Plomin - How Do Genes Influence Our Behaviour?
Aug 2, 2021
Robert Plomin, a renowned psychologist and geneticist, dives into the captivating world of behavioral genetics. He reveals how much of our identity stems from genetics versus environment, claiming parenting's influence is minimal. Plomin discusses shocking insights like school choice only affecting 1% of outcomes and explores whether traits like intelligence and sexual orientation are hereditary. He also emphasizes the importance of understanding innate differences among individuals, advocating for a more tailored approach to parenting and education.
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Behavioral Genetics Defined
- Behavioral genetics studies how inherited DNA differences influence individual behavioral differences.
- It focuses on why people differ, not on universal human traits.
Heritability Explained
- Inherited DNA differences account for about half of the behavioral differences between people.
- This is called heritability, and it's often misunderstood.
Heritability of Weight
- Heritability describes differences within a population, not an individual's potential.
- Weight has a heritability of 70%, meaning genes significantly influence weight differences between people.
