Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs01:23

Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs

1.4K
Behavior genetics explores how genetic inheritance influences human behavior. It focuses on how genes, passed from parents to offspring, contribute to the development of behavioral traits and tendencies. This branch of genetics seeks to understand the complex interplay between inherited genetic factors and environmental influences in shaping our behaviors.
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
1.4K
Human Genetics01:28

Human Genetics

2.0K
Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
2.0K
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

1.3K
Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...
1.3K
Cognitivism01:17

Cognitivism

2.9K
Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
2.9K
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

732
Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
732
Heritability01:06

Heritability

975
Heritability is a statistical concept that measures the degree to which genetic differences among individuals contribute to trait variations within a population. It is a fundamental idea in genetics, often prone to misinterpretation. Heritability is expressed as a percentage, reflecting the proportion of variation in a specific trait across a population that can be linked to genetic differences. However, it's important to understand that heritability does not determine how "genetic"...
975

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Hybrid vigour and maternal environment in mice. I. Body and brain growth.

Behavioural processes·2014
Same author

Hybrid vigour and maternal environment in mice. II. Water escape learning, open-field activity and spatial memory.

Behavioural processes·2014
Same author

Hybrid vigour and maternal environment in mice. III. Hippocampal mossy fibres and behaviour.

Behavioural processes·2014
Same author

Hippocampal commissure defects in crosses of four inbred mouse strains with absent corpus callosum.

Genes, brain, and behavior·2012
Same author

Localization of two new X-linked quantitative trait loci controlling corpus callosum size in the mouse.

Genes, brain, and behavior·2006
Same author

Of mice and men--cross-species digit ratio (2D:4D) research: comment on Bailey, Wahlsten and Hurd (2005).

Genes, brain, and behavior·2006

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Automated, Long-term Behavioral Assay for Cognitive Functions in Multiple Genetic Models of Alzheimer's Disease, Using IntelliCage
06:46

Automated, Long-term Behavioral Assay for Cognitive Functions in Multiple Genetic Models of Alzheimer's Disease, Using IntelliCage

Published on: August 4, 2018

11.4K

Evaluating genetic models of cognitive evolution and behaviour.

D Wahlsten1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.

Behavioural Processes
|June 5, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Understanding cognitive evolution requires focusing on genetic models with few loci. Complex traits necessitate studying brain differences and neural correlates for deeper insights into evolutionary processes.

More Related Videos

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction
16:23

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction

Published on: February 26, 2014

13.6K
In Vivo Modeling of the Morbid Human Genome using Danio rerio
12:31

In Vivo Modeling of the Morbid Human Genome using Danio rerio

Published on: August 24, 2013

22.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Automated, Long-term Behavioral Assay for Cognitive Functions in Multiple Genetic Models of Alzheimer's Disease, Using IntelliCage
06:46

Automated, Long-term Behavioral Assay for Cognitive Functions in Multiple Genetic Models of Alzheimer's Disease, Using IntelliCage

Published on: August 4, 2018

11.4K
Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction
16:23

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction

Published on: February 26, 2014

13.6K
In Vivo Modeling of the Morbid Human Genome using Danio rerio
12:31

In Vivo Modeling of the Morbid Human Genome using Danio rerio

Published on: August 24, 2013

22.2K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Cognitive evolution can be studied across multiple levels, from societal interactions to molecular genetics.
  • Evaluating genetic models of cognitive evolution is feasible primarily for simple genetic systems involving few loci.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the limitations of genetic models in explaining complex cognitive evolution.
  • To propose alternative approaches for advancing the understanding of cognitive evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Review of genetic modeling approaches for cognitive evolution.
  • Discussion of the utility of genetic linkage analysis for simple genetic models.
  • Emphasis on studying individual differences in brain structure and neural correlates.

Main Results:

  • Genetic models are most effective for cognitive evolution involving one to three genetic loci.
  • Genetic analysis and theories are unlikely to yield conclusive results for complex behavioral traits with numerous genes and environmental interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Simple genetic models of cognitive evolution should be validated using genetic linkage analysis.
  • Investigating individual differences in the brain and neural correlates offers a more promising path for understanding cognitive evolution.