Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Quantitative Methods Vol 2 Statistical Analysis written by Todd D. Little and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-02-01 with total page 784 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research today demands the application of sophisticated and powerful research tools. Fulfilling this need, The Oxford Handbook of Quantitative Methods is the complete tool box to deliver the most valid and generalizable answers to todays complex research questions. It is a one-stop source for learning and reviewing current best-practices in quantitative methods as practiced in the social, behavioral, and educational sciences. Comprising two volumes, this handbook covers a wealth of topics related to quantitative research methods. It begins with essential philosophical and ethical issues related to science and quantitative research. It then addresses core measurement topics before delving into the design of studies. Principal issues related to modern estimation and mathematical modeling are also detailed. Topics in the handbook then segway into the realm of statistical inference and modeling with chapters dedicated to classical approaches as well as modern latent variable approaches. Numerous chapters associated with longitudinal data and more specialized techniques round out this broad selection of topics. Comprehensive, authoritative, and user-friendly, this two-volume set will be an indispensable resource for serious researchers across the social, behavioral, and educational sciences.

Download or read book Genetic Twists of Fate written by Stanley Fields and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2010-09-24 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How tiny variations in our personal DNA can determine how we look, how we behave, how we get sick, and how we get well. News stories report almost daily on the remarkable progress scientists are making in unraveling the genetic basis of disease and behavior. Meanwhile, new technologies are rapidly reducing the cost of reading someone's personal DNA (all six billion letters of it). Within the next ten years, hospitals may present parents with their newborn's complete DNA code along with her footprints and APGAR score. In Genetic Twists of Fate, distinguished geneticists Stanley Fields and Mark Johnston help us make sense of the genetic revolution that is upon us. Fields and Johnston tell real life stories that hinge on the inheritance of one tiny change rather than another in an individual's DNA: a mother wrongly accused of poisoning her young son when the true killer was a genetic disorder; the screen siren who could no longer remember her lines because of Alzheimer's disease; and the president who was treated with rat poison to prevent another heart attack. In an engaging and accessible style, Fields and Johnston explain what our personal DNA code is, how a few differences in its long list of DNA letters makes each of us unique, and how that code influences our appearance, our behavior, and our risk for such common diseases as diabetes or cancer.

Download or read book Heredity Environment and Personality written by John C. Loehlin and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2014-11-06 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume reports on a study of 850 pairs of twins who were tested to determine the influence of heredity and environment on individual differences in personality, ability, and interests. It presents the background, research design, and procedures of the study, a complete tabulation of the test results, and the authors’ extensive analysis of their findings. Based on one of the largest studies of twin behavior conducted in the twentieth century, the book challenges a number of traditional beliefs about genetic and environmental contributions to personality development. The subjects were chosen from participants in the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test of 1962 and were mailed a battery of personality and interest questionnaires. In addition, parents of the twins were sent questionnaires asking about the twins’ early experiences. A similar sample of nontwin students who had taken the merit exam provided a comparison group. The questions investigated included how twins are similar to or different from nontwins, how identical twins are similar to or different from fraternal twins, how the personalities and interests of twins reflect genetic factors, how the personalities and interests of twins reflect early environmental factors, and what implications these questions have for the general issue of how heredity and environment influence the development of psychological characteristics. In attempting to answer these questions, the authors shed light on the importance of both genes and environment and form the basis for different approaches in behavior genetic research.

Download or read book Developmental and Fetal Origins of Differences in Monozygotic Twins written by Alexandra Matias and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2020-05-15 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Developmental and Fetal Origins of Differences in Monozygotic Twins: From Genetics to Environmental Factors examines the major causes of discordance in monozygotic twins, from genetic, to environmental influences, including discussions on the genetic, epigenetic, fetal and environmental factors. Twin differences discussed include malformations, deformations and disruptions secondary to inequitable division of the early embryo, chromosome and single gene mosaicism, Nonrandom X chromosome inactivation, mitochondrial heteroplasmy, epigenetic variation, and variable and inequitable blood supply, among other influences. Differences in hemoglobin levels, placentation and amniotic fluid are also examined, while full color images illustrate discordant anomalies and twin differences throughout. Examines the major causes of discordance in monozygotic twins and their relevance for future studies and clinical management Discusses NIPT in MZ twins, twin imaging during fetal development, blood tests and forensic analysis Features contributions from international experts in twin genetics and developmental biology

Download or read book Methodology for Genetic Studies of Twins and Families written by M. Neale and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-09 with total page 503 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few would dispute the truth of the statement `People are Different', but there is much controversy over why. This book authoritatively explains the methods used to understand human variation, and extends them far beyond the primary `nature or nurture' question. After chapters on basic statistics, biometrical genetics, matrix algebra and path analysis, there is a state-of-the-art account of how to fit genetic models using the LISREL package. The authors explain not only the assumptions of the twin method, but how to test them. The elementary model is expanded to cover sex limitation, sibling interaction, multivariate and longitudinal data, observer ratings, and twin-family studies. Throughout, the methods are illustrated by applications to diverse areas such as obesity, major depression, alcohol comsumption, delinquency, allergies, and common fears.

Download or read book Born Together Reared Apart written by Nancy L. Segal and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-06-18 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart startled scientists by demonstrating that twins reared apart are as alike, across a number of personality traits and other measures, as those raised together, suggesting that genetic influence is pervasive. Segal offers an overview of the study’s scientific contributions and effect on public consciousness.

Download or read book Twin Studies written by Grant C Townsend and published by University of Adelaide Press. This book was released on 2015-10-08 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is about an ongoing long-term research initiative led by researchers from the School of Dentistry at the University of Adelaide. The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the studies of the teeth and faces of Australian twins and their families that have extended over more than thirty years.

Download or read book Twin Mythconceptions written by Nancy L. Segal and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-02-08 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twin Mythconceptions: False Beliefs, Fables, and Facts about Twins sheds new light on over 70 commonly held ideas and beliefs about the origins and development of identical and fraternal twins. Using the latest scientific findings from psychology, psychiatry, biology, and education, the book separates fact from fiction. Each idea about twins is described, followed by both a short answer about the truth, and then a longer, more detailed explanation. Coverage includes embryology of twins, twin types, intellectual growth, personality traits, sexual orientation of twins, marital relationships, epigenetic analyses, and more. Five appendices cover selected topics in greater depth, such as the frequency of different twin types and the varieties of polar body twin pairs. This book will inform and entertain behavioral and life science researchers, health professionals, twins, parents of twins, and anyone interested in the fascinating topic of twins. - Identifies common misunderstandings about twins - Provides scientific answers to questions about twins - Encompasses the biology, psychology, genetics, and personality of twins - Includes discussion of identical, fraternal same-sex, and fraternal opposite-sex twins - Allows for quick answers to common questions and more detailed explanations

Download or read book Born Together Reared Apart written by Nancy L. Segal and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-06-18 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The identical “Jim twins” were raised in separate families and met for the first time at age thirty-nine, only to discover that they both suffered tension headaches, bit their fingernails, smoked Salems, enjoyed woodworking, and vacationed on the same Florida beach. This example of the potential power of genetics captured widespread media attention in 1979 and inspired the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart. This landmark investigation into the nature-nurture debate shook the scientific community by demonstrating, across a number of traits, that twins reared separately are as alike as those raised together. As a postdoctoral fellow and then as assistant director of the Minnesota Study, Nancy L. Segal provides an eagerly anticipated overview of its scientific contributions and their effect on public consciousness. The study’s evidence of genetic influence on individual differences in traits such as personality (50%) and intelligence (70%) overturned conventional ideas about parenting and teaching. Treating children differently and nurturing their inherent talents suddenly seemed to be a fairer approach than treating them all the same. Findings of genetic influence on physiological characteristics such as cardiac and immunologic function have led to more targeted approaches to disease prevention and treatment. And indications of a stronger genetic influence on male than female homosexuality have furthered debate regarding sexual orientation.

Download or read book Genetics of Epilepsy written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2014-09-04 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book chapters cover different aspects of epilepsy genetics, starting with the "classical" concept of epilepsies as ion channel disorders. The second part of the book gives credit to the fact that by now non-ion channel genes are recognized as equally important causes of epilepsy. The concluding chapters are designed to offer the reader insight into current methods in epilepsy research. Each chapter is self-contained and deals with a selected topic of interest. - Authors are the leading experts in the field of epilepsy research - Book covers the most important aspects of epilepsy - Interesting for both scientists and clinicians

Download or read book Identically Different written by Tim Spector and published by ABRAMS. This book was released on 2014-07-30 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, a geneticist who studies identical twins “treats the view that genes are destiny with skepticism” (The New York Times). How much are the things you choose to do every day determined by your genes and how much is your own free will? Drawing on his own cutting-edge research of identical twins, leading geneticist Tim Spector shows us how the same upbringing, the same environment, and even the same exact genes can lead to very different outcomes. Thought-provoking, entertaining, and enlightening, Identically Different helps us understand the science behind what makes each of us unique and so quintessentially human.

Download or read book Twins as a Tool of Behavioral Genetics written by T. J. Bouchard and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twins as a Tool of Behavioral Genetics Edited by T. J. Bouchard, Jr. P. Propping Every human being is genetically unique and consequently genetically different from every other human being. The one exception is identical (monozygotic) twins, who share exactly the same genome. Fraternal (dizygotic) twins share half of their genes in common by descent. Twins of both types constitute "an experiment of nature". Because it is unethical to carry out powerful experiments on human beings in order to explore the causes of variation in human traits, this natural experiment with all of its vicissitudes is one of the few windows we have with which to view the genetic and environmental determinants of complex human behavioral traits. Many scientists believe that twins can only be used to estimate "heritability" and that they reveal nothing about how genes influence behavior. In addition, they argue that modern molecular genetics will quickly make twin research obsolete. These widely held views are largely incorrect. Twins are a unique and very powerful tool for exploring a wide variety of hypotheses about both the distal (mostly genetic) and proximal (mostly environmental) origins of human individual differences. Scientific knowledge accumulates most rapidly when scientists ask the right questions and utilize the right tools—the right tools for the job. This book attempts to highlight the questions that might be most productively addressed through the use of twin designs. Every tool, however, has its limitations. This book carefully examines the limitations and assumptions associated with the application of the method to each of the domains discussed. Goal of this Dahlem Workshop: to evaluate the environmental and genetic mechanisms underlying the structure and development of behavior in twins studies: the achievements, limitations, and potentials.

Download or read book Cells and Surveys written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-01-19 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What can social science, and demography in particular, reasonably expect to learn from biological information? There is increasing pressure for multipurpose household surveys to collect biological data along with the more familiar interviewer-respondent information. Given that recent technical developments have made it more feasible to collect biological information in non-clinical settings, those who fund, design, and analyze survey data need to think through the rationale and potential consequences. This is a concern that transcends national boundaries. Cells and Surveys addresses issues such as which biologic/genetic data should be collected in order to be most useful to a range of social scientists and whether amassing biological data has unintended side effects. The book also takes a look at the various ethical and legal concerns that such data collection entails.

Download or read book The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide written by Yogesh Dwivedi and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2012-06-25 with total page 485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With recent studies using genetic, epigenetic, and other molecular and neurochemical approaches, a new era has begun in understanding pathophysiology of suicide. Emerging evidence suggests that neurobiological factors are not only critical in providing potential risk factors but also provide a promising approach to develop more effective treatment and prevention strategies. The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide discusses the most recent findings in suicide neurobiology. Psychological, psychosocial, and cultural factors are important in determining the risk factors for suicide; however, they offer weak prediction and can be of little clinical use. Interestingly, cognitive characteristics are different among depressed suicidal and depressed nonsuicidal subjects, and could be involved in the development of suicidal behavior. The characterization of the neurobiological basis of suicide is in delineating the risk factors associated with suicide. The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide focuses on how and why these neurobiological factors are crucial in the pathogenic mechanisms of suicidal behavior and how these findings can be transformed into potential therapeutic applications.

Download or read book No Two Alike Human Nature and Human Individuality written by Judith Rich Harris and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2010-02-15 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A display of scientific courage and imagination." —William Saletan, New York Times Book Review Why do people—even identical twins reared in the same home—differ so much in personality? Armed with an inquiring mind and insights from evolutionary psychology, Judith Rich Harris sets out to solve the mystery of human individuality.

Download or read book The Inherited Twins written by Cathy Gillen Thacker and published by Harlequin. This book was released on 2008-10-01 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They're Her Family Now… Claire Olander is determined to create a loving, stable home for her newly orphaned niece and nephew. That means holding on to the sprawling Texas spread that's been in her family for generations. Which is where Heath McPherson comes in. The tall, dark and gorgeous banker has all sorts of ideas for getting Red Sage Ranch out of the red. But the more he hangs around this instant family, the less he can resist the spirited twins. And that goes double for their new single mother. Can Heath help Claire work a miracle—one that will save her home and create a real home on the ranch for all of them?

Download or read book Blueprint with a new afterword written by Robert Plomin and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2019-07-16 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A top behavioral geneticist makes the case that DNA inherited from our parents at the moment of conception can predict our psychological strengths and weaknesses. In Blueprint, behavioral geneticist Robert Plomin describes how the DNA revolution has made DNA personal by giving us the power to predict our psychological strengths and weaknesses from birth. A century of genetic research shows that DNA differences inherited from our parents are the consistent lifelong sources of our psychological individuality—the blueprint that makes us who we are. Plomin reports that genetics explains more about the psychological differences among people than all other factors combined. Nature, not nurture, is what makes us who we are. Plomin explores the implications of these findings, drawing some provocative conclusions—among them that parenting styles don't really affect children's outcomes once genetics is taken into effect. This book offers readers a unique insider's view of the exciting synergies that came from combining genetics and psychology. The paperback edition has a new afterword by the author.