Genetic research has shown that dyslexia is familial, substantially heritable, and heterogeneous in its genetic mechanisms. Evidence also supports the view that the primary symptom in dyslexia is a deficit in the phonological coding of written language, a symptom that appears to be heritable. (Author/JDD)

Explores the role of biological causation in the development of behavioral outcomes. Genes and other biological structures constitute complex behavior, but the behavior of complex organisms cannot be derived from the biogenetic units of which it is composed. (SLD)

The authors assessed 2,502 ten-year-old children, members of 1,251 pairs of twins, on a Web-based battery of problems from 5 diverse aspects of mathematics assessed as part of the U.K. national curriculum. This 1st genetic study into the etiology of variation in different domains of mathematics showed that the heritability estimates were moderate…

Change in task persistence was assessed in two annual assessments using teachers', testers', and observers' ratings. Participants included 79 monozygotic and 116 same-sex dizygotic twin pairs who were in Kindergarten or 1st grade (4.3 to 7.9 years old) at the initial assessment. Task persistence was widely distributed and higher among older…

Studies by the late English psychologist Cyril Burt of IQ scores of separated twins strongly suggested that intelligence was inherited. A summary of recent research costs doubt upon the validity of Burt's work. (SL)

Presents arguments for the case that Burt did fake his results. (IRT)

Argues that Burt did not fake his results. (IRT)

Describes biological influences on criminality. Illustrative data suggest a biological sex difference in criminality and heritable differences in this trait among individuals. Methods of isolating environmental influences are described. Author notes that using environment-friendly behavior genetic research designs is not only proper but would…

Explores the interplay between nature and nurture using antisocial behavior as the example, and discusses key genetic concepts and key environmental concepts. The final section considers the nature-nurture interaction in relation to passive, evocative, and active gene-environment correlations and calls for research into the effects of the…

Describes the fundamental conflict between the implications of sociobiology and the aspirations of humanists. Sociobiology tends to rationalize and defend special privileges for the powerful few, while humanism stresses equality of opportunity. Journal availability: see SO 507 272. (Author)

Attempts to show how genes and environments cooperate in the construction of organisms, focusing on how genes require environmental and behavioral inputs to function appropriately during the normal course of human development. The discussion is related to a model of probabilistic epigenesis. (SLD)

The biometrical school of scientists who fit models to IQ data traces their intellectual ancestry to R. Fisher (1918), but their genetic models have no predictive value. Fisher himself was critical of the concept of heritability, because assortative mating, such as for IQ, introduces complexities into the study of a genetic trait. (SLD)

Discussion of the nature/nurture controversy in giftedness concludes that giftedness has a strong hereditary basis that is greatly influenced by educational experiences. The importance of the affective domain is also stressed. Some specific suggestions are offered to help students nurture themselves and to help parents and teachers nurture others.…

Matt Ridley, an Oxford-trained zoologist and science writer whose latest book is "Nature via Nurture: Genes, Experience, and What Makes Us Human" (2003a), wrote such an impressively clear and fascinating piece on "What Makes You Who You Are" that the author decided to use it to introduce the continuing pursuit of "What do I do to best promote…

Contends that some of the gravest problems that minorities face today have their origins in the mususe of science and technology. Describes the activities of eugenicists; the treatment of children labeled hyperkinetic, and the most recent techniques of "psycho-surgery" aimed at curbing violence in those labeled mentally ill. (Author)