As a species, we like to think of ourselves as in complete control of our decisions and actions. However, beneath the surface, forces outside of our conscious control influence the way we think and behave: our genes.
1950s and afterThe scientists How genes affect human healthThis Medical professionals and researchers and Policy makers Insist on the use of Precision Medicine Personalize and speed disease diagnosis and treatment Improved patient health.
However, the influence of genes on psychology has been overlooked.
My Research Here’s how genes influence human psychology and behavior: Psychologists can use genetic conflict theory It has the potential to provide a deeper understanding of human behavior and advances in the treatment of psychological problems.
What do genes have to do with it?
Genetic conflict theory Our genes mix together to make us who we are, but they carry markers that tell us whether they came from our mother or our father. Cooperate or fight each other? We grow and develop. Research on genetic conflict has focused primarily on pregnancy because it is one of the few times in human development where the effects of different sets of genes can be clearly observed in one individual.
Typically, the mother’s genes and the father’s genes have different ideal strategies for growth and development. Although the mother’s and father’s genes eventually find a way to cooperate with each other to result in normal growth and development, these genes benefit from: Promotes fetal development This is to get a little closer to the optimum for both parents: the maternal genes will keep the mother healthy and ensure that she has enough resources left for the next pregnancy, while the paternal genes will benefit from the fetus getting all of the maternal resources for itself.
But if the gene doesn’t work properly, Undesirable results It can cause physical and mental disabilities in the baby and even lead to miscarriage.
Some scientists theorize that genes act in their own interest.
Although genetic conflict is a common occurrence, its effects have been largely ignored in psychology, in part because researchers Assume genetic cooperation is necessaryFor the health and well-being of the individual. Another reason is that most human characteristics Controlled by many genesFor example, the height is 10,000 genetic mutationsSkin color Over 150 genes.
The complex nature of psychology and behavior makes it difficult to pinpoint the unique influence of a single gene, much less which parent it was inherited from. Take depression, for example. Your chances of developing depression are: 200 types of genesIt is also influenced by environmental factors. Childhood abuse and stressful life experiencesResearchers have been studying similar complex interactions. Stress and Anxiety Related Disorders.
Prader-Willi syndrome and Angelman syndrome
When researchers study genetic conflicts, they usually Association with diseaseUnintentionally documenting the psychological effects of genetic conflict.
Specifically, by studying people with Prader-Willi syndrome and Angelman syndrome, researchers have investigated how extreme cases of genetic conflict – when the influence of one parent’s set of genes is fully expressed while the influence of the other set of genes is completely suppressed – are associated with changes in behavior.
Prader-Willi syndrome and Angelman syndrome are approximately 1 in 10,000 to 30,000 people and 1 in 12,000 to 20,000 people Each disease affects many people worldwide, and there is currently no long-term cure for either disease.
These syndromes occur in patients Missing one copy of a gene on chromosome 15 It is necessary for balanced growth and development. People who inherit only the gene from their father develop Angelman syndrome, while those who inherit only the gene from their mother develop Prader-Willi syndrome.
Both Prader-Willi syndrome and Angelman syndrome are associated with mutations in specific genes on chromosome 15. Prader-Willi syndrome is caused by the silencing of a paternally inherited gene, while Angelman syndrome is caused by the silencing of a maternally inherited gene. The paternally inherited gene is shown in blue, the maternal gene in red, and the biparental gene in pink. Yang et al. 2021, genes/MDPI, CC BY-SA
Physical Characteristics of Angelman Syndrome These include significant developmental delays, intellectual disability, movement disorders, eating disorders and excessive laughter. Physical characteristics of Prader-Willi syndrome These include poor muscle tone, eating disorders, hormone deficiencies, short stature and overeating during childhood.
These syndromes are among the few examples where the effects of a single gene defect can be clearly observed. Angelman and Prader-WilliThese syndromes are associated with problems in language, cognition, eating and sleep, as well as significant psychological and behavioral differences.
For example, children with Angelman syndrome Laugh, laugh And in general Participate in social interactionsThese actions are: Improved resource acquisition capabilities And they receive investment from those around them.
On the other hand, children with Prader-Willi syndrome: Tantrum, anxiety and Difficulties in social situationsThese behaviors place increased strain on mothers early in an individual’s life and may cause them to delay having another child. Increasing children’s access to resourcesFood, parental attention, etc.
Genetic conflicts in psychology and behavior
Angelman and Prader-Willi syndromes highlight the importance of investigating the psychological and behavioral impacts of genetic clashes: Researchers have documented differences in temperament, sociability, and mental health. and attachments In these disorders.
The differences in psychological processes between these syndromes are similar to the effects of genetic conflict, which affects attachment. Responsiveness and sensitivity in parent-child relationships Through differences in behavior and resource needs, this relationship Still in the womb And help you how to adjust How you react to different social situationsThe regulation of this response begins in the womb at a purely biological level, but the result is Social behavior It affects everything, including how we behave. Dealing with Stress To Our personality.
Much of this research is still theoretical, as most scientists have not considered the impact of gene conflict on human behavior. Researchers have had to find parallels between fields to examine how the biological process of gene conflict affects psychological processes. The study of Angelman syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome is just one example of how integrating a gene conflict framework into psychological research can provide researchers with the tools to study how biology makes us human.
Jessica D. Ayers is an assistant professor of psychological sciences at Boise State University. This article is reprinted from conversation Under Creative Commons License. read Original Article.
