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A phenotypic null hypothesis for the genetics of personality
Eric Turkheimer1, Erik Pettersson, Erin E Horn
1Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904;
Annual Review of Psychology
|September 21, 2013
Summary
Human personality differences are substantially heritable, confirmed by twin studies. New research explores the replicability, reliability, and validity of these genetic influences on personality traits.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Genetics
- Personality Psychology
- Quantitative Genetics
Background:
- Quantitative genetic studies, particularly twin studies, have established that personality differences are substantially heritable over the past century.
- Contemporary research builds upon this foundational understanding to explore nuanced aspects of personality genetics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the genetically informed literature on personality.
- To examine the replicability of personality heritability across traits, samples, and studies.
- To investigate the relationship between heritability and reliability, and the application of behavior genetics in validity studies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing genetically informed literature.
- Analysis of quantitative genetic studies (twin studies).
- Discussion of stability in genetic and environmental variance for personality.
Main Results:
- Heritability of personality differences is a well-established finding.
- Exploration of replicability, reliability, and validity of genetic influences is ongoing.
- A phenotypic null hypothesis is proposed, viewing genetic variance as reflective of phenotypic processes.
Conclusions:
- Genetic factors significantly contribute to individual differences in personality.
- Further research is needed to understand the complexities of personality heritability, reliability, and validity.
- The conceptualization of genetic influence may be better understood at the phenotypic level.
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