IB Psychology - To what extent does genetic inheritance influence our behaviour?

The first 200 words of this essay...

Essay Question: To what extent does genetic inheritance influence our behaviour?

A common saying goes, "You have your mother's genes, so you should be good at this!" This statement demonstrates that common belief dictates that our genes that we inherit influence our behaviour. Yet, how true is this statement? Genes are heredity processes that we receive from our parents that are a factor that determine our characteristics and behaviour.

In layman's terms, they are the building blocks that define our coarse, rough behaviour, but fail to closely define our closer instincts and actions. That is where the environment comes in to play a role. Thesis: While genetics certainly do play and define a role in complex behaviours such as intelligence and aggression, they only do up to a limited extent; environment is the defining factor in such acts of behaviour. 2-3 Sentence Explanation: Twin studies and adoption studies point out that ultimately the environment is a defining factor within intelligence and learning potential, measured by IQ tests. Evidence from studies conducted on aggression suggest that the environment is a deciding factor in anti-social behaviour.

Twins have always been a fascinating example of how