PSY 357 Gene Environment Paper

Jeffrey Swartz
PSY 357
Professor Jones
Gene Environment Paper

Researchers today continually make efforts in trying to figure out how children develop through our environment. Some of this can be explained through interactions that are called heredity-environment correlations, which is, individuals’ genes for which you are exposed to may influence your environment. According to Sandra Scarr, children develop by three kinds of genotype and how their heredity and environment are correlated. The first is a passive kind, in which the parents who are genetically related to the child deliver a rearing environment similar to the parents’ genetic disposition. The second is an evocative kind, whereby the child’s characteristics receive response from
As early as I can remember my mother stressed how taking care of yourself will lead to a happy life and her genetic predisposition was passed on to my siblings and myself. This defines the passive genotype correlation. I found myself throughout the years becoming increasingly curious about being fit from watching my mother workout on her new home fitness machine. In turn as I aged and realized that being fit was something I took interest in, my mother gradually bought more weight training equipment more suitable for a males needs and in no time part of my childhood garage was a now a small weight room. The next genotype called evocative explains the types of experiences I had due to who I was and my genetic make-up. In the physical world, everyone is different and you will evoke different responses depending on types of skills that you possess. For example, I was always very good with electronics and people who knew me could speak to me about setting up home entertainment systems or car audio and know I would have good input for them. The feedback that I receive is very different than those who fail at such