Mothers attributed their children's outcomes to either child-rearing practices, genetics, or environment. It was predicted that mothers of only children and gifted children would attribute more importance to child rearing than would mothers of multiple children and special education children. Predictions were supported across academic, social, and…

Rapid-cycling brassicas can be used in the classroom to teach concepts such as plant growth, tropisms, floral reproduction, pollination, embryonic development, and plant genetics. Directions on how to obtain them for classroom use and how they may be grown are included. Practical physiology and genetics exercises are listed. (KR)

Applies inverse Bayesian analyses to data from three large family studies of reading disability to estimate posterior probability that an offspring will be affected. Finds that offspring risk rates were significantly elevated if a parent reported a history of reading disability. Suggests the use of family history as a component in clinical…

Investigates genetic influences on reading in a sample of 285, 13-year-old twins. Finds the heritability of disability for reading recognition to be nonsignificant but that spelling had a substantial genetic contribution to all levels of disability. Suggests two possible independent aspects of phonological ability, each influenced by genetic…

Applies an extension of an earlier multiple regression model for twin analysis to the problem of detecting linkage in a quantitative trait. Detects a number of possible linkages, indicating that the approach is effective. Discusses detecting genotype-environment interaction and the issue of power. (RS)

Dramatic developments in brain research and imaging technology are rapidly advancing our understanding of the human brain. The new biologically based brain theories suggest that "nature" dominates "nurture" and that many current beliefs about instruction, learning, and memory are wrong. This article explains neural Darwinism…

A study involving 55 children with a language impairment and 76 with normal language investigated the heritability of auditory processing impairment in same-sex twins (ages 7 to 13, selected from a sample of 37 pairs). Although correlations between co-twins were high, lack of significant difference between monozygotic and dizygotic twins suggested…

"Authorized" genetic testing may be obtained from employees with coercion or threat. Unless protections are put in place, employers and health insurers will use genetic screening to hire and fire. (JOW)

Provides directions for the construction of giant plastic cells, including details for building and installing the organelles. Also contains instructions for preparing the ribosomes, nucleolus, nucleus, and mitochondria. (DDR)

Describes a laboratory procedure using vanilla and chocolate sandwich cookies that can be used to illustrate independent assortment either during meiosis or during a dihybrid cross. (DDR)

Stickler syndrome is an autosomal dominant multisystem disease. The four most affected systems are craniofacial, skeletal, ocular, and auditory. The manifestations of Stickler syndrome vary considerably among affected individuals. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists should be familiar with the characteristics associated with Stickler…

Explored genetic and environmental underpinnings of temperamental differences in 3- to 16-month-old twins and their parents. Found that additive genetic and shared environmental effects best represented smiling, laughter, and duration of orienting. Shared environmental effects fully accounted for co-twin similarity for soothability. Additive…

Comments on the work of Arthur Jensen, specifically "The g Factor" (1998), which consolidates the psychometric, neurophysiological, behavior genetic, and comparative evidence for the existence and importance of a factor of general intelligence ("g"). Discusses Jensen's work on black/white differences in intelligence. (SLD)

Discusses the contributions of Arthur Jensen to the study of intelligence and considers his writings on the topic of racial differences in scores on tests of intelligence. Concludes with a discussion of his work on the correlates of the "g" vector (general intelligence factor). (Author/SLD)

Assesses the etiology of the covariation between mathematics performance and general cognitive ability in data from a sample of 555 twins selected for learning deficits and from a sample of 570 control twins pairs. Results show that the phenotypic relationship between mathematics and general cognitive ability is due primarily to genetic…