scholarly journals Individual Differences in Personality Masculinity-Femininity: Examining the Effects of Genes, Environment, and Prenatal Hormone Transfer

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin J. H. Verweij ◽  
Miriam A. Mosing ◽  
Fredrik Ullén ◽  
Guy Madison
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Personality Score ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Individual

Males and females score differently on some personality traits, but the underlying etiology of these differences is not well understood. This study examined genetic, environmental, and prenatal hormonal influences on individual differences in personality masculinity–femininity (M-F). We used Big-Five personality inventory data of 9,520 Swedish twins (aged 27 to 54) to create a bipolar M-F personality scale. Using biometrical twin modeling, we estimated the influence of genetic and environmental factors on individual differences in a M-F personality score. Furthermore, we tested whether prenatal hormone transfer may influence individuals’ M-F scores by comparing the scores of twins with a same-sex versus those with an opposite-sex co-twin. On average, males scored 1.09 standard deviations higher than females on the created M-F scale. Around a third of the variation in M-F personality score was attributable to genetic factors, while family environmental factors had no influence. Males and females from opposite-sex pairs scored significantly more masculine (both approximately 0.1 SD) than those from same-sex pairs. In conclusion, genetic influences explain part of the individual differences in personality M-F, and hormone transfer from the male to the female twin during pregnancy may increase the level of masculinization in females. Additional well-powered studies are needed to clarify this association and determine the underlying mechanisms in both sexes.

Genetic and Environmental Overlap Between Substance Use and Delinquency in Adolescence: An Analysis by Same-Sex Twins

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle L. Boisvert ◽  
Eric J. Connolly ◽  
Jamie C. Vaske ◽  
Todd A. Armstrong ◽  
Brian B. Boutwell
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Delinquent Behavior ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
National Longitudinal Study ◽  
Offending Behavior ◽  
Genetic Overlap ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors

During adolescence, many teens begin to experiment with substances and engage in delinquent behavior. The current study seeks to examine whether and to what extent genetic and environmental factors contribute to the association between substance use (i.e., marijuana and alcohol) and different forms of delinquent offending (i.e., violent and nonviolent) across males and females. Analyses were based on same-sex twins ( N = 1,072) from the sibling subsample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). The results revealed moderate to large genetic overlap between substance use and delinquent behavior for males. Much of the covariation between alcohol use and offending behavior for females was attributable to common environmental factors, while common genetic factors explained a large portion of the overlap between marijuana use and offending in males and females. The implications of these findings for sex differences in prevention and intervention efforts are discussed from a biosocial perspective.

Sexual Competition among Women

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Arnocky ◽  
Tracy Vaillancourt
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Indirect Aggression ◽  
Female Competition ◽  
Biparental Care ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Sexual Competition ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Opposite Sex

Darwin (1871) observed in his theory of evolution by means of sexual selection that “it is the males who fight together and sedulously display their charms before the female” (p. 272). Researchers examining intrasexual competition have since focused disproportionately on male competition for mates, with female competition receiving far less attention. In this chapter, we review evidence that women do indeed compete with one another to secure and maintain reproductive benefits. We begin with an overview of the evolutionary theory of competition among women, with a focus on biparental care and individual differences in men’s mate value. We discuss why competition among women is characteristically different from that of men and highlight evidence supporting women’s use of epigamic display of physical attractiveness characteristics and indirect aggression toward same-sex peers and opposite-sex romantic partners as sexually competitive tactics. Finally, individual differences in competition among women are discussed.

scholarly journals Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 365 (6456) ◽  
pp. eaat7693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Ganna ◽  
Karin J. H. Verweij ◽  
Michel G. Nivard ◽  
Robert Maier ◽  
Robbee Wedow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Genetic Architecture ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Genome Wide Association Study ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Number Of Sexual Partners ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females

Twin and family studies have shown that same-sex sexual behavior is partly genetically influenced, but previous searches for specific genes involved have been underpowered. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 477,522 individuals, revealing five loci significantly associated with same-sex sexual behavior. In aggregate, all tested genetic variants accounted for 8 to 25% of variation in same-sex sexual behavior, only partially overlapped between males and females, and do not allow meaningful prediction of an individual’s sexual behavior. Comparing these GWAS results with those for the proportion of same-sex to total number of sexual partners among nonheterosexuals suggests that there is no single continuum from opposite-sex to same-sex sexual behavior. Overall, our findings provide insights into the genetics underlying same-sex sexual behavior and underscore the complexity of sexuality.

scholarly journals Genetic and Environmental Factors in Individual Differences of Cognitive Abilities in Primary School Children

2013 ◽  
Vol 86 ◽  
pp. 419-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulia Davydova ◽  
Victoria Ismatullina ◽  
Ivan Voronin ◽  
Ol’ga Ovcharova ◽  
Elena Sabirova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors

scholarly journals A Study on the Impact of Big Five Personality Traits on Consciousness

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Akriti Srivastava ◽  
Anamika Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Big Five Personality Traits ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Psychological Traits ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Neo Five Factor Inventory ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Personality is the set of psychological traits and mechanisms within the individual that are organized and relatively enduring and that influence their interactions with, and adaptations to, the intra psychic, physical, and social environments. Personality is the factor which influences other functioning of the individuals, keeping this view in mind its relation with consciousness was thought to be explored, which is awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind. Hence, this study was designed to understand the relationship between big five personality traits and consciousness, for this, the data was collected from 200 working and non-working males and females in the age range of 22 to 30 years. Sample was chosen from Banasthali Vidyapith, Tonk; Rajiv Gandhi Technical Institute, Raibarely; and Wipro Company, Bangalore. Measures used were self-consciousness scale (Fenigstein, Scheier &Buss 1975) which is a 23 item questionnaire and personality questionnaire: NEO Five-Factor Inventory-3 (NEO-FFI-3). This questionnaire was developed by Paul T. Costa, Jr and Robert R. McCrae (1989). The result indicated that openness and conscientiousness are significantly positively related with consciousness and openness emerged out as the significant predictor of consciousness. Also the significant difference was found between males and females in terms of consciousness. This study is unique in its endeavor and creates scope for further exploration in this field.

scholarly journals Importance of Maternal Persistence in Young Children's Persistence

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Imafuku ◽  
Atsuko Saito ◽  
Kenchi Hosokawa ◽  
Kazuo Okanoya ◽  
Chihiro Hosoda
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Parenting Style ◽  
Personality Trait ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Maternal Factors ◽  
Social Success ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors

Persistence of a distant goal is an important personality trait that determines academic and social success. Recent studies have shown that individual differences in persistence involve both genetic and environmental factors; however, these studies have not examined the role of maternal factors on a young children's persistence. The present study examined whether mothers' persistence is associated with persistence in children aged 3–6 years. In addition, the associations between mothers' persistence/parenting style and children's self-control/social development (prosocial behaviors and difficulties) were examined. Our results showed that maternal persistence is essential for the child's persistence. Children's self-control and social development were also associated with the mothers' persistence and parenting style. Our findings suggest that a young child's persistence may develop under the influence of a familiar adult (i.e., mother) and characterizes their social development, highlighting the importance of persistence in parenting.

scholarly journals Fighting over defence chemicals disrupts mating behaviour

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Catherine Paul ◽  
Caroline Müller
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Chemical Defence ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Contest Behaviour ◽  
Fighting Behaviour

AbstractStudies on intraspecific contest behaviour predominantly focus on contests between individuals of the same sex, however contest behaviour is also expected to occur between individuals of the opposite sex including possible mates. Here we investigate potential trade-offs between mating and fighting behaviour in the turnip sawfly (Athalia rosae). Adults of this species collect chemical defence compounds (clerodanoids) directly from plants but also indirectly by nibbling on conspecifics that have already obtained clerodanoids themselves, a highly aggressive behavioural interaction. An A. rosae individual without clerodanoids may therefore be the potential mate or attacker of an individual of the opposite sex that has gained clerodanoids. We paired males and females with or without clerodanoid access and manipulated body mass differences between the sexes via the early life starvation of females. We show that asymmetrical clerodanoid acquisition between male-female pairs causes an increase in agonistic nibbling behaviour, irrespective of sex. Moreover, fighting over clerodanoids disrupted mating behaviour, and the frequency of aggressive nibbling behaviour in these pairs was determined by the comparative body mass of the attacking individual. Our study highlights the vital importance of investigating agonistic intersex interactions not only over mating but also over resources.

Genetics of physical activity and physical fitness

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nienke M Schutte ◽  
Meike Bartels ◽  
Eco JC de Geus
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Exercise Intervention ◽  
Measurement Instrument ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Target Groups ◽  
Children And Adolescent ◽  
Sources Of Variation ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors

Regular physical activity and fitness are key contributors to children’s health. It is important to understand sources of variation in phenotypes seen among children and adolescents. It is important to calculate the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors to observed individual differences. Heritability estimates of physical activity vary, depending on sample size and measurement instrument, but the overall importance of environmental factors seems to decrease in adolescence, whereas genetic effects become more prominent. Twin and family studies show that individual differences in maximal oxygen uptake, muscle strength, flexibility, and balance are affected by genetic factors. Some evidence is found for specific genes coding for physical activity and fitness, but children and adolescent studies are limited. Future research should prioritize these target groups as knowledge of the source of individual differences in physical activity and fitness at different time points can optimize the choice and timing of exercise intervention.

scholarly journals Suicide among persons who entered same-sex and opposite-sex marriage in Denmark and Sweden, 1989–2016: a binational, register-based cohort study

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Erlangsen ◽  
Sven Drefahl ◽  
Ann Haas ◽  
Charlotte Bjorkenstam ◽  
Merete Nordentoft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Rate Ratios

BackgroundPeople belonging to sexual minority groups have higher levels of suicidality than heterosexuals. However, findings regarding suicide death are sparse. Using unique national data from two countries, we investigated whether individuals entering a same-sex marriage (SSM), a proxy group of sexual minority individuals, had higher suicide rates than those entering opposite-sex marriage (OSM).MethodsA cohort study of all males and females who entered an SSM (n=28 649) or OSM (n=3 918 617) in Denmark and Sweden during 1989–2016 was conducted. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for suicide were calculated using adjusted Poisson regression models.ResultsIn total, 97 suicides occurred among individuals who had entered an SSM compared with 6074 among those who entered an OSM, corresponding to an adjusted IRR of 2.3 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.8). For people who entered SSM, a 46% decline was noted over time from an IRR of 2.8 (95% CI 1.9 to 4.0) during 1989–2002 to 1.5 (95% CI 1.2 to 1.9) during 2003–2016. The excess suicide mortality was present in all age groups but most pronounced among younger individuals aged 18–34 years of age (IRR 2.7, 95% CI 1.5 to 4.8) and females (IRR 2.7, 95% CI 1.8 to 3.9).ConclusionThis large register-based study found higher suicide rates among individuals who entered an SSM, compared with those who entered an OSM. A lower suicide rate was noted for individuals in SSMs in recent years. More research is needed to identify the unique suicide risk and protective factors for sexual minority people.

A Behavioral-Genetic Study of Alexithymia and its Relationships with Trait Emotional Intelligence

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 539-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly M. Baughman ◽  
Sara Schwartz ◽  
Julie Aitken Schermer ◽  
Livia Veselka ◽  
K. V. Petrides ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Trait Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Behavioral Genetic ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire ◽  
Behavioral Genetic Study

The present study is the first to examine relationships between alexithymia and trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) at the phenotypic, genetic, and environmental levels. The study was also conducted to resolve inconsistencies in previous twin studies that have provided estimates of the extent to which genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in alexithymia. Participants were 216 monozygotic and 45 dizygotic same-sex twin pairs who completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. In a pilot study, a sub-sample of 118 MZ and 27 DZ pairs also completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. Results demonstrated that a combination of genetic and non-shared environmental influences contribute to individual differences in alexithymia. As expected, alexithymia and trait EI were negatively correlated at the phenotypic level. Bivariate behavioral genetic analyses showed that that all but one of these correlations was primarily attributable to correlated genetic factors and secondarily to correlated non-shared environmental factors.

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