A
genetic predisposition is a
geneticGenetics, , a discipline of biology, is the science of heredity and variation in living organisms. The fact that living things inherit traits from their parents has been used since prehistoric times to improve crop plants and animals through selective breeding...
effect which influences the
phenotypeA phenotype is any observable characteristic or trait of an organism: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, or behavior. Phenotypes result from the expression of an organism's genes as well as the influence of environmental factors and possible interactions...
of an organism but which can be modified by the
environmentalThe natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a term that encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof....
conditions. Genetic testing is able to identify individuals who are genetically predisposed to certain
health problemsA disease or medical condition isan abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions, associated with specific symptoms and signs...
.
Predisposition is the capacity we are born with to learn things such as language and concept of self. Negative environmental influences may block the predisposition (ability) we have to do some things.
A
genetic predisposition is a
geneticGenetics, , a discipline of biology, is the science of heredity and variation in living organisms. The fact that living things inherit traits from their parents has been used since prehistoric times to improve crop plants and animals through selective breeding...
effect which influences the
phenotypeA phenotype is any observable characteristic or trait of an organism: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, or behavior. Phenotypes result from the expression of an organism's genes as well as the influence of environmental factors and possible interactions...
of an organism but which can be modified by the
environmentalThe natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a term that encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof....
conditions. Genetic testing is able to identify individuals who are genetically predisposed to certain
health problemsA disease or medical condition isan abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions, associated with specific symptoms and signs...
.
Behavior
Predisposition is the capacity we are born with to learn things such as language and concept of self. Negative environmental influences may block the predisposition (ability) we have to do some things. Behaviors displayed by animals can be influenced by genetic predispositions. Genetic predisposition towards certain human behaviors is
scientifically investigatedEthology is the scientific study of animal behavior, and a sub-topic of zoology....
by attempts to identify patterns of human behavior that seem to be invariant over long periods of time and in very different cultures.
For example, philosopher
Daniel DennettDaniel Clement Dennett is a prominent American philosopher whose research centers on philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science. He is currently the co-director of the Center for Cognitive...
has proposed that humans are genetically predisposed to have a
Theory of mindTheory of mind is the ability to attribute mental states—beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc.—to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from one's own...
because there has been
evolutionaryIn biology, evolution is change in the genetic material of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. Though changes produced in any one generation are normally small, differences accumulate with each generation and can, over time, cause substantial changes in the population, a...
selection for the human ability to adopt the
Intentional stanceThe intentional stance is a theory of mental content proposed by Daniel Dennett. The theory provides the underpinnings of his later works on free will, consciousness, folk psychology, and evolution...
. The
intentional stance is a useful behavioral strategy by which humans assume that others have
mindMind is the aspect of intellect and consciousness experienced as combinations of thought, perception, memory, emotion, will and imagination, including all unconscious cognitive processes. The term is often used to refer, by implication, to the thought processes of reason. Mind manifests itself...
s like their own. This assumption allows you to predict the behavior of others based on personal knowledge of what you would do.
Powerful evidence for genetic predispositions towards certain patterns of human behavior comes from twin studies. The idea that human behavior can have a genetic basis has become controversial due to religious and politically-inspired positions with respect to common human behaviors such as
homosexualityHomosexuality is the romantic or sexual attraction or behavior among members of the same sex, situationally or as an enduring disposition. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is considered to lie within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum of human sexuality, and refers to an individual’s...
.
Genetic discrimination in health insurance
The
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination ActThe Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 , is an Act of Congress in the United States designed to prohibit the improper use of genetic information in health insurance and employment...
, which was
signed into law by President Bush on May 21, 2008, prohibits discrimination in employment and health insurance based on genetic information.
See also
- Human nature
Human nature is the concept that there are a set of characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that all 'normal' humans have in common. The branches of science associated with the study of human nature include sociology, sociobiology and psychology, particularly...
- E. O. Wilson's book on sociobiology
Sociobiology is a synthesis of scientific disciplines which attempts to explain social behavior in animal species by considering the Darwinian advantages specific behaviors may have. It is often considered a branch of biology and sociology, but also draws from ethology, anthropology, evolution,...
and his book ConsilienceConsilience, or the unity of knowledge , has its roots in the ancient Greek concept of an intrinsic orderliness that governs our cosmos, inherently comprehensible by logical process, a vision at odds with mystical views in many cultures that surrounded the Hellenes...
discuss the idea of genetic predisposition to behaviors
- The field of evolutionary psychology
Evolutionary psychology attempts to explain psychological traits—such as memory, perception, or language—as adaptations, that is, as the functional products of natural selection or sexual selection. Adaptationist thinking about physiological mechanisms, such as the heart, lungs, and immune system,...
explores the idea that certain behaviors have been selected for during the course of evolution.
- The nature versus nurture
The nature versus nurture debates concern the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities versus personal experiences The nature versus nurture debates concern the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature", i.e. nativism, or innatism) versus personal experiences...
debate
- Behavioral genetics
- Predispositioning Theory
Predispositioning Theory in the field of decision theory and systems theory is a theory, that focused on the intermediate stage between a complete order and a complete disorder....
- Genetic discrimination
Genetic discrimination occurs when people are treated differently by their employer or insurance company because they have a gene mutation that causes or increases the risk of an inherited disorder. People who undergo genetic testing may be at risk for genetic discrimination.The results of a...
- Psychiatric genetics
Psychiatric genetics, a subfield of behavioral neurogenetics, studies the role of genetics in psychological conditions such as alcoholism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism. The basic principle behind psychiatric genetics is that genetic polymorphisms, as indicated by linkage to e.g...
- Gene-environment correlation
Genetic factors influence exposure to many features of the environment. This comes about because people actively shape their experiences according to their personality and behavior, which are heritable. A consequence is that the relationship between environmental exposure and disease may be...
External links