In Chapter 1 (What Is Psychology?) the Importance of Critical

question 177

Essay

In Chapter 1 (What Is Psychology?) the importance of critical thinking was noted. In particular, a critical thinker knows that once a general question is raised, the next step is to define one's terms in a clear and concrete way. Chapter 2 (How Psychologists Do Research) provided even more detail in the discussion of operational definitions. How do behavioural geneticists define the meaning of heritability? What does it mean when a trait is said to be "highly heritable"?

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Definitions:

Nature

The inherent qualities or properties of something; often refers to the physical world and its phenomena not made by human beings.

Culture

An information-based system that includes shared ideas and common ways of doing things.

Survival of the Fittest

A concept from evolutionary theory suggesting that organisms best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Gene Pool

The complete set of unique alleles within an interbreeding population, representing the genetic diversity of that group.