It Runs in the Family

It Runs in the Family Have you ever been told that you act like one of your relatives? Maybe you have heard the phrase, Youre definitely your fathers child My mother says that my brother, sister, and I all get our outgoing personality from her. Ive also always been told by many relatives that I am just like my cousin Connie. The notion that children inherit characteristics from their parents is widely held in this society. Not only do people accept that parents pass physical characteristics, such as eye color or height, through their genes, but we often expect childrens personalities to resemble their parents. The notion that certain traits run in the family is also highly popularized and accepted. For this assignment, you are to write a short paper critically examining the role of genetics on psychological traits in your own family. Pick a personality characteristic, talent, or skill that you believe runs in the family. Describe the relatives (living or dead) who also possess this characteristic. In your paper, make sure to address the following questions: What is the likelihood that the trait you are describing is genetically influenced? Explain. What might be the relative contributions of genetics versus environment? How might genetics and environment interact to produce this trait? How many family members do not possess the characteristic? In my family, my mother, sister, and I are introverted, while my father is not. We prefer staying at home watching movies, avoiding large crowds, and we are uncomfortable with public speaking. In contrast, my father is comfortable speaking in public and enjoys starting conversations with others.