This article presents the "Piirto Pyramid" framework for identification of talent potential. It explains how the pyramid identifies influences that are significant in the development of talents, including genetics, personality attributes, cognitive ability, talent, vocational, and environmental. Examples using Roy Rogers and Michelangelo are…

Explains how students can perform an alternative authentic DNA fingerprinting analysis. Presents restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and can serve as a simulated molecular epidemiology laboratory or as a simulated forensic laboratory exercise. (DDR)

Describes a science activity on polyploidy targeting middle and high school students which can be used to discuss topics such as chromosomes, cells, plant growth, and functions of stomates. Integrates mathematics in data collection. (Contains 13 references.) (YDS)

Responds to J. McCroskey and M. Beatty's article in this issue. Argues that debates over relative importance of nature versus nurture are misguided because the relative influence of genetic and environmental components varies depending on specific genes and environments under consideration and their specific interactions. Explores what these…

Replies to C. M. Condit's response to the authors' article on communibiology in the same issue of this journal, arguing that some of her challenges to communibiology are seriously flawed. (SR)

Examines perspectives on family influences on child development. Maintains that genetic and biological factors and parental actions/attitudes make important contributions to individual differences. Draws on research on gender differences and conduct disorders to illustrate that parental influence on individual differences within cultures has been…

A study analyzed the language development of 200 children at 14, 24, 30, and 42 months and assessed their symbolic play at 14 months. Children from families with dyslexia (n=103) had lower maximum sentence length at 2 years and object naming and inflectional morphology skills at 3.5 years. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

A teaching unit on genetics and human inheritance using problem-solving methodology was undertaken with fourth-level Spanish Secondary Education students (15 year olds). The goal was to study certain aspects of the students' learning process (concepts, procedures and attitude) when using this methodology in the school environment. The change…

Parents' attributions of the jigsaw-puzzle performance of their child with Prader-Willi syndrome (n = 20) or Williams syndrome (n = 21) were examined. Parents in both groups placed more importance on internal versus external attributions. Parents of children with Prader-Willi syndrome exhibited a hedonic bias by attributing their child's success…

A university in Buffalo introduced its students to evolution by providing them with information on evidence of evolution, mechanisms for evolution, principles of genetics, selection, adaptation, evolution and sociobiology. This method of teaching with technology enabled students to improve and expand their learning opportunities.

The use of racial variables in genetic studies has become a matter of intense public debate, with implications for research design and translation into practice. Using research on smoking as a springboard, the authors examine the history of racial categories, current research practices, and arguments for and against using race variables in genetic…

Genetics is a difficult topic as it involves abstract concepts, which are not directly observable. Studies on using simulations to support the learning of genetics have largely been confined to the use of quantitative simulations to replace experimentation. This study describes the use of a new type of simulation built using an iconic modelling…

Background: This introductory guide presents the main two analytical approaches used by molecular geneticists: linkage and association. Methods: Traditional linkage and association methods are described, along with more recent advances in methodologies such as those using a variance components approach. Results: New methods are being developed all…

Background: Studies of chromosome 15 abnormality have implicated over-expression of paternally imprinted genes in the 15q11-13 region in the aetiology of autism. To test this hypothesis we compared individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) due to uniparental disomy (UPD--where paternally imprinted genes are over-expressed) to individuals with…

The current study examined whether socioeconomic status (SES) and chaos in the home mediate the shared environmental variance associated with cognitive functioning simultaneously estimating genetic influences in a twin design. Verbal and nonverbal cognitive development were assessed at 3 and 4 years for identical and same-sex fraternal twin pairs…