A New Perspective

First Paragraphs

Adoption is a complicated process. There are papers to sign, bills to pay, and emotional stress for each side in preparing for the baby to come. A baby has half of it’s father’s genes and half its mother’s (gene thing). However, when the baby is given to a new set of parents it doesn’t have either set of genes. The baby then grows up with a new family, taking on the traits of its parents and learning from them. It is unsure how different the baby would have been if it were raised by the other set of parents. The question is who’s genetic traits does the baby then inherit? If some traits are learned and some traits are genetic who is the baby more like? It’s biological set of parent or it’s real parents

Behavioral Genetics was first thought of by Sir Francis Bacon hundreds of years ago (Behavioral Genetics). Since then it has become a more of a studied science. Behavioral Genetics have been able to help us do stem cell research and find help for those with depression and other genetically inherited mental problems. Behavioral Genetics has opened the doors to new kinds of thinking. Some of it is good and some of it is contrary to what I believe or what I have grown up believing. The three basic models or ways to study behavioral genetics is through families, twins and adoptions. I cannot read every study that have been done on adoptive parents but there have been some interesting studies I would like to talk about. 

Delved Paragraphs

Adoption is a complicated process. There are papers to sign, bills to pay and emotion stress fro each side of the adoption in preparing this new baby to come. However, in my case I’m sure the stress of having a new baby for my mother was far beyond the stress of my new parents. She was 17, I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like for her and not only her age she was alone. My father who genetically accounts for half of the person I am wanted nothing to do with me. He didn’t feel that my life was important and signed me away as soon as he could. I don’t know much about my biological dad except that he was quiet and serious. He wasn’t a member of the church and he didn’t share my same value system. However, my biological mother I can relate to her. She was mormon and in a lot of trouble. I have been there not to her extreme but the pain she felt from having lost her way. That I can relate to. I don’t know how much stronger or better she is for having this situation but if she is anything like me this experience was a growing experience for her. Maybe one she could have avoided if she were more careful but everyone makes mistakes. These small thing are all I know about my biological parents; the one’s who genes I have. A child has half of their mother’s genes and half their fathers (Wikkipdeia). When adopted the baby may eventually meet the set of parents that gave birth to them but that is a rare occasion. However, how much is the baby like those set of parents? Do the look like them? Do they act like them? How many similar traits are really inherited?  

Behavioral Genetics is the study of these questions. How much does a child inherit from their parents and How does this affect them as a person. Behavioral Genetics studies three basic things to determine how much is inherited. They study a normal family, twins and adopted children. In many studies it is hard to determine how much of the study is actually legitimate (Rende). There are so many factors to take into account because genetics are so complicated. However, one article I read said that a child is more affected by it’s environment (“Heart of the Issue”). This means that my personality and the person I am today has little to do with my biological parents. My personality traits mainly come from the things I have seen and chose to act upon. However, some of my traits come from both sides of the adoption. Self-esteem is a genetic trait but I feel that my confidence comes from my real father. If it is proven that some of my personality traits are inherited how do I know that they really are? Maybe I have changed according to my environment? These are things that Behavioral Genetic Scientists think over and determine. I feel like I am going in circles this debate has to end somewhere. Who Am I?

 55 minutes