Is There a Divorce in Your Genes?
Is There a Divorce in Your Genes?
Ellen Berscheid describes her research, which investigated the heritability of divorce, that she feels was so underappreciated. She first considers the study conducted by McGue and Lykken (1992), which concluded that divorce is heritable, and the twin method for estimating the heritability of a behavior. She then explains how she and her student, Matt Heller, arrived at the idea of studying the genetics of divorce by focusing on physical attractiveness. She also discusses the Equal Environments Assumption (EEA), used to test the validity of the twin method, and its modification, termed the “equal trait-relevant environments assumption.” Finally, she reflects on the objections to her work with Heller.
Keywords: Ellen Berscheid, heritability, divorce, twin method, Matt Heller, genetics, Equal Environments Assumption, equal trait-relevant environments assumption, physical attractiveness
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