SES has long interested researchers investigating school achievement. Its effects are often addressed by studying predictors of achievement in economically disadvantaged samples living primarily in biological families, confounding genetic and environmental influences. Little is known about SES's purely environmental effects. We measured them in…

Evidence is found against a learning or instrumental model of aggression production, and a novel theory is advanced suggesting that infants are genetically predisposed to acquire specific behavioral characteristics shown by the mother. (Author/JMB)

Reviews genetic influence on suicide. Reviews methodologies for studying the nature-nurture issue and examines their applicability to the study of suicide. Reviews research from the methodologically sound strategies. Examines work by Uematsu using an approach different from any of the conventional methodologies. (Author/ABB)

An examination of the historical record fails to uncover any support for the claim that the racially biased Immigration Act of 1924 was passed with the help of the intelligence testing community. (GC)

Described are turn-of-the-century (1900) efforts of E. Johnstone, Vineland Training School for the mentally retarded; H. Goddard, psychologist (also at Vineland); and C. Davenport, Carnegie Foundation biological laboratory, Coldspring Harbor; to identify the roles of genetic heredity and environmental impact, and thus to eradicate or ameliorate…

The heredity-environment question was taught in a college psychology course using the debate format, which appears to produce more interest and independent scholarly research than other formats. (RM)

Distinguishes between two types of explanation of epigenesis, predetermined and probabilistic, and proposes that the second type is more scientifically useful. (SS)

Surveyed literature on genetics and fears and phobias to determine what might be heritable. Found, for ordinary fears among the general population, heredity appears to contribute mainly to a trait of general fearfulness and may be a major reason for the strong intercorrelation among different fears. Found evidence of little environmental…

Presents interview with Thomas Bouchard, a leading researcher of identical twins reared apart. Describes major themes in the Minnesota twin research. Claims, although genetic influence is central, Bouchard pleas for the impact of environmental factors in optimal human development. Includes Bouchard's surprising experiences, current focus, and…

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)

This paper examines the links between childhood conduct disorder problems and schooling and labour market outcomes net of genetic and environmental effects. The results show that individuals who experienced conduct disorder problems are more likely to leave school early, have poorer employment prospects and lower earnings. These findings are shown…

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…

The application of component analysis to phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlation matrices is discussed. Formulas for computation of component scores and the interpretation of factors is discussed. An example is presented. (Author/JKS)