Most theories of human mental evolution assume that selection favored higher intelligence and larger brains, which should have reduced genetic variance in both. However, adult human intelligence remains highly heritable, and is genetically correlated with brain size. This conflict might be resolved by estimating the coefficient of additive genetic…

Research supported by Grant MH-11929 from the National Institute of Health. Findings first presented at the 1967 Meetings of the Psychonomic Society in Chicago, Illinois.

Understanding life on a molecular level is greatly enhanced when students are given the opportunity to visualize the molecules. Especially understanding DNA structure and function is essential for understanding key concepts of molecular biology such as DNA, central dogma and the manipulation of DNA. Researches have shown that undergraduate…

Background: Families of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report higher rates of conflict within the family and more negative parent-child relationships. This study aimed to test whether negative parent-child relationships have a risk effect on ADHD symptoms using two complementary designs. Method: The first sample…

Objective: Little is known about how parenting might offset genetic risk to prevent the onset of child problems during toddlerhood. We used a prospective adoption design to separate genetic and environmental influences and test whether associations between structured parenting and toddler behavior problems were conditioned by genetic risk for…

Asian Indians are the third largest and fastest growing Asian subgroup in the U.S. and considered the model minority due to their high education and income level. Unlike other Asian immigrants, they are a more heterogeneous group with a genetic predisposition for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Current national surveys are incapable of…

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that starts in childhood and frequently persists in adults. Electrophysiological studies in children with ADHD provide evidence for abnormal performance monitoring processes and familial association of these processes with ADHD. It is not yet known…

Williams syndrome (WS) is a developmental disorder characterized by relatively spared verbal skills and severe visuospatial deficits. Serious impairments in mathematics have also been reported. This article reviews the evidence on mathematical ability in WS, focusing on the integrity and developmental path of two fundamental representations,…

Turner syndrome is a common disorder with a prevalence of 1:2,500 live female births. Although not associated with mental retardation, there is an increased risk of learning difficulties in this population. In particular, mathematical learning difficulties among girls with Turner syndrome are prevalent, significant, and persistent. As such, the…

Previous studies examining the covariation among Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) have yielded inconsistent results. Some studies have concluded that the covariation among these symptoms is due to common genetic influences, whereas others have found a common…

DNA microarray is an ordered grid containing known sequences of DNA, which represent many of the genes in a particular organism. Each DNA sequence is unique to a specific gene. This technology enables the researcher to screen many genes from cells or tissue grown in different conditions. We developed an undergraduate lecture and laboratory…

Background and Methods: Unusual water intake and drinking behaviour has occasionally been observed in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). The aim of this study is to explore whether this observation is a part of the PWS phenotype and what the consequences may be. The parents of 51 individuals with PWS (age range 2-40 years) were asked by…

Decades of studies show that children's behavior is shaped by relationships in the "social ecology" of family, peers, school, and community. But in recent decades the prevailing scientific dogma was that genes determine destiny. Now it is clear that experience changes genes. For better or worse, environmental experiences including nutrition,…

At approximately 9,500 years old, two sets of human remains from La Jolla, California (W-12), known as the University House Burials due to the physical location of their discovery on property owned by the University of California, San Diego, are some of the oldest in the United States. These burials are central to a repatriation controversy…

The main goal of this study was to explore whether the use of multimedia in genetics instruction contributes more to students' knowledge and comprehension than other instructional modes. We were also concerned with the influence of different instructional modes on the retention of knowledge and comprehension. In a quasi-experimental design, four…