Free will, determinism, and intuitive judgments about the heritability of behavior

Abstract

The fact that genes and environment contribute differentially to variation in human behaviors, traits and attitudes is central to the field of behavior genetics. Perceptions about these differential contributions may affect ideas about human agency. We surveyed two independent samples (N = 301 and N = 740) to assess beliefs about free will, determinism, political orientation, and the relative contribution of genes and environment to 21 human traits. We find that lay estimates of genetic influence on these traits cluster into four distinct groups, which differentially predict beliefs about human agency, political orientation, and religiosity. Despite apparent ideological associations with these beliefs, the correspondence between lay estimates and published heritability estimates for the surveyed traits is large (r = .77). Belief in genetic determinism emerges as a modest predictor of accuracy in these lay estimates. Additionally, educated mothers with multiple children emerge as particularly accurate in their estimates of the genetic contribution to these traits.

Teachers' Perceptions about the Etiology of Intelligence and Learning Difficulties

“…Considering the more inactive items IGA1 and IGA2 when compared to items IGA3 (genes and environment in equal parts) and IGA4 (Figure 1), we found similarity with the study of Cástera and Clément (2014) which found that the higher the number of years in the graduation, the smaller was the level of genetic determinism of the evaluated teachers. Another group that understood the interaction between genes and environment is educated mothers with schooling and with more than one child (Willoughby et al, 2019). Still comparing the present study with the aforementioned study, knowledge in biology did not influence beliefs in innatism (Castéra & Clément, 2014).…”

“…A specific sample for teachers of twin 7-year-olds, considering a Likert scale, where number one represents genetic influence and number five, environmental influence, generated an average of 2.35 (Walker & Plomin, 2005); the teacher sample of the present study, with different analysis, in a previously reported result, generated an average of 2.57. In an inverted scale, participants at least 18 years old and located in the United States had averages from 3.32 to 3.37 (Willoughby et al, 2019). The exception to the pattern found so far is given in a sample of Brazilian university students, which generated an average of 2.61, also with an inverted scale, in which lower averages represent greater environmental influence for intelligence (Gericke et al, 2017).…”

“…Mother with more children may be able to observe the difference between them, the similarities with parents and the influences of shared and non-shared environments (Willoughby et al, 2019). It could be expected that teachers of students at different ages would perceive influences on intelligence differently, according to the stage of cognitive development.…”

“…There is evidence that beliefs related to people's potential for intelligence can be shaped by culture (Rattan et al, 2012) and by political views (Willoughby et al, 2019). Personal or family experiences of diseases or genetic tests can collaborate in the formation of perceptions, characterizing belief in genetic determinism (Senior et al, 1999).…”

“…Although recent discourses have been considering the processes of learning and school outcomes as something beyond cognitive abilities (Abed, 2016), the educational system remains to privilege such abilities through standardized assessment. Human cognitive abilities have historically been attributed more to genetic factors than to environmental factors (Gould, 1996;Snyderman & Rothman, 1988), and these, in turn, were considered immutable by various social groups (Castera & Clement, 2014;Gould, 1996;Keller, 2005;Rattan, Savani, Naidu & Dweck, 2012;Thomas & Sarnecka, 2015;Willoughby et al, 2019) The Brazilian teachers' conceptions about origin and evolution of life are more creationist than the teachers' conceptions in other Latin American countries, like Argentina and Uruguay, for example (Silva, Clément, Leão, Garros, & Carvalho, 2017). Such conception may be related to deterministic beliefs.…”