What Can We Learn from the Study of Twins? [electronic resource] : An Evaluation of the Equal Environments Assumption

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Felson, Jacob.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Twins.

Nature and nurture.

Genetics, Behavioral.

Twin Studies as Topic.

Social Environment.

Twins--genetics.

Twins--psychology.

Medical Subjects:

Genetics, Behavioral.

Twin Studies as Topic.

Social Environment.

Twins--genetics.

Twins--psychology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (158 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Lewiston : The Edwin Mellen Press, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Most evidence about genetic behavior comes from twin studies. The presumption is that this enables an equal environment assumption (EEA). This book argues that the validity of the EEA argument is not as strong as some behavior geneticists have claimed. Felson conducts the most comprehensive evaluation of the EEA to date. His analysis incorporates a larger more diverse set of outcome variables than any previous research on the subject. He generates estimates of genetic influence with and without controls for environmental similarity. This shows the extent of EEA violation in a straightforward m

Contents:

Title Page; Copyright Information; Table of Contents; List of Tables; List of Figures; Abstract; Foreword; Acknowledgments; Chapter 1: Introduction; 1.1: Plan for the book; 1.2: Estimating the effects of genes on variation in traits with twin studies; 1.3 Estimating heritability; 1.4 Evaluating the twin study as a natural experiement; Chapter 2: Literature Review; 2.1 Earliest Studies establish that MZ twins experience more smiliar environments that DZ Twins; 2.1.1 Review and reanalysis of Wilson (1934); 2.1.2 Early Study comparing MZ and DZ twins by Mowrer (1954)

2.1.3 Other Studies conducted prior to 19602.2Early Studies examingin whether genetic effects are confounded with environmental effects in twin studies; 2.2.1 Scarr(1968 ); 2.2.2. Matheny et al. (1976); 2.2.3 Landmark twin study of Loehlin and Nichols (1976); 2.2.4 Lytton (1977); 2.2.5 Scarr and Carter-Saltzman (1979); 2.3 Recent studies of the equal environments assumption; 2.4 Studies of adopted children and studies of twins reared apart; Chapter 3: Data; 3.1 Measures; 3.1.1 Outcome measures; 3.2.1 Measures of environmental similarity; 3.1.3 Measure of zygosity

3.1.4 Other control variables3.2 Handling missing data; Chapter 4: Methods; 4.1 Comparisons of means and variances by zygosity; 4.2 Examining measures of environmental similarity; 4.3 Absolute value regressions; 4.4 Defries-Fulker regressions; 4.5 Propensity score matching; 4.6 Why propensity score matching?; Chapter 5: Results; 5.1 Comparisons of means and variances by zygosity; 5.2 Examining measures of environmental similarity; 5.3 Absolute value regressions; 5.4 Defries-Fulker regressions; 5.5 Propensity score matching; 5.6 Effects of matching estimates on heritability

Chapter 6: ConclusionBibliography; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

0-7734-1240-9

OCLC:

805830478