Major Concept: Genetic Essentialism

Author: Andres Rodriguez Espinosa

Ed 304: Ed Psych & Human Development

Disclosure: No AI programs were used in the making of this section

"People are motivated to make sense of their social worlds. They encounter much human diversity, and in making sense of this, people are affected by at least two broad classes of etiological accounts, nativist and environmentalist explanations."

- Ilan Dar-Nimrod and Steven J. Heine

What is Genetic Essentialism?

Deoxyribonucleic acid, also known as DNA, is known to be used for a multitude of identification purposes (Modern Applications of NDA, 2022). Whether it be forensics, paternity testing, or genetic testing. From a medical perspective, DNA can aid in vaccine development, therapies, disease outbreaks, pathogen analysis, and much more. With that in mind, DNA holds valuable information from a biological perspective. What about psychology? This is where we start to see that the data with genetics is disputed. In one example, it is argued that your genetics influences your obesity rather than your environment and what you eat. Even in modern studies, we find that the percentage ranges from 20% and up to 70%. This harbors the idea that we are destined to be a certain way because of our genes pointing towards predisposing factors. Therefore, "the tendency to infer a person's characteristics and behaviors as based on their perceived genetic make-up" is known as genetic essentialism (Dar-Nimrod & Heine, 2011).

Without doing any research, it might make sense because our DNA can be examined to inform us about our biological health. However, the research on essentialist thinking ignores the fundamental idea of nurture and, instead, focuses on the nature of human beings. In the view of a psychological essentialist, our genes create an immutable essence of the self. Using the example of a dog, we can categorize dogs by their breed and this leads to behaviors that are considered innate. However, we're not animals in that sense. Genetic essentialism sets forward the impression that our self can be reduced to our molecules (Nelkin & Lindee, 1995). Our social, historical, and moral complexions are simplified into an essentialist form that ignores nurture.

The implications of the genetic essentialist mindset

As explained by Dar-Nimrod and Heine, basing ourselves on a genetic essentialist mindset brings four complications:

1. Outcomes are immutable and determined
2. Genes are viewed as the cause of a condition (specific etiology)
3. Discrimination of groups as homogenous and discrete
4. Outcomes are viewed as natural, therefore negative morals are seen as naturalistic and acceptable

Starting with the first complication, when we view our decisions and outcomes as immutable and determined, we come across the idea that we cannot change certain aspects of ourselves. Even when we try to change, our genes create the expected outcome. However, we know that this isn't always the case. In the world of psychology, we learn that we can change our mindset and overcome obstacles. To subscribe to a genetic essentialist mindset hinders our ability to grow.

• When we view our genes as a cause for specific conditions, we create a specific etiology. In doing so, we ignore the role of our environment and factors that are outside of our control. In the ongoing argument of nature vs. nurture, we can notice that our environmental factors influence the way we are. This can be seen from culture to culture and even from country to country.

The third complication is the idea that all groups are the same (homogenous). This discriminates a group as being similar in every way because of their genetics. In doing so, it implies that a group (let's say a specific group of people) will have similar conditions because they are of similar genes. We know that this isn't the case because genetic mutations are always possible. More importantly, people within a group may act the same, but each person is unique.

The final complication implies that what is good and right is natural. As explained by Dar-Nimrod and Heine, it's similar to comparing height (which is based on genes) to what is good and bad. This creates judgment as a natural choice rather than examining external factors. This implies that sexuality, criminal behaviors, and lifestyle choices are normal. This is known as a naturalistic fallacy

Current research in genetics and psychological attributes

Going forward, there is genetics research and this is what some of the modern literature explains.

• With regards to temperament, scientists estimate that 20 to 60 percent of our genetics determine it (MedlinePlus, n.d.). Environmental factors also contribute to changes in temperament.
• By Stanford Medicine: Genetics of Brain Function, "in most cases of depression, around 50% of the cause is genetic, and around 50% is unrelated to genes (psychological or physical factors).  Or it could mean that in some cases, the tendency to become depressed is almost completely genetic, and in other cases, it is not genetic at all.  We don’t know the answer yet."
• Even in well-designed studies, obesity is linked to less than 50% of our genetics.
• Based on experimental studies, General anxiety disorder (GAD) has been seen to have a moderate genetic risk being close to 30% (Gottschalk & Domschke, 2017).

These are just some examples. Research is an ever-changing subject and these percentages may change. What is unknown today may be known shortly. 

Select all that apply: What is genetic essentialism?

Having a fixed mindset

The belief that our genes don't affect our decisions

Believing that our genes determine who we are and what we do

Subscribing to the idea that change is natural

Select all that apply: What are some examples of genetics being used in objective manners?

Forensics

Depression Testing

Obesity risk

Paternity testing

Disease risk testing

What can we safely assume about depression and genetics?

The best way to determine depressive symptoms is via genetic testing

Depression is natural and there is no way to stop it from happening

The risk of depression based on genetics is about 50% for either side

Even with our current studies, we cannot identify how much our genetics affect our risk for depression

Keywords:

• Etiology - 
  the cause, set of causes, or manner of causation of a disease or condition.
• Forensics - scientific tests or techniques used in connection with the detection of crime.
  
• Genetic Essentialism - "The tendency to infer a person's characteristics and behaviors as based on their perceived genetic make-up."
  
• Homogenous - of the same kind; alike.
  
• Naturalistic Fallacy - "a putative logical error that occurs when an attempt is made to define values in terms of natural properties. Values such as goodness and truth are held to be human perceptions and to have no ontological status, or independent existence, as properties of things."
  
• Predisposing - from the word "predisposition," "a susceptibility to developing a disorder or disease, the actual development of which may be initiated by the interaction of certain biological, psychological, or environmental factors. "
  

_{Definitions used were taken from Miriam Webster, the APA Dictionary of Psychology, and  Dar-Nimrod & Heine's "Genetic essentialism: On the deceptive determinism of DNA}

References:

Dar-Nimrod, I., & Heine, S. J. (2011). Genetic essentialism: On the deceptive determinism of DNA. Psychological Bulletin, 137(5), 800–818. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021860

Gottschalk, M. G., & Domschke, K. (2017). Genetics of generalized anxiety disorder and related traits. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 19(2), 159–168. https://doi.org/10.31887/dcns.2017.19.2/kdomschke 

Levinson, D. F., & Nichols, W. E. (n.d.). Major Depression and Genetics. Genetics of Brain Function. https://med.stanford.edu/depressiongenetics/mddandgenes.html 

MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Is temperament determined by genetics? MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/temperament/

Modern Applications of DNA. (2022, June 8). Boundless. https://bio.libretexts.org/@go/page/13285

Nelkin D, Lindee MS. The DNA mystique: The gene as a cultural icon. New York: Freeman; 1995.

Tirthani, E., Said, M. S., & Rehman, A. (2023, February). Genetics and obesity. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573068/