José, who was adopted at birth, is found to have personality characteristics more similar to his biological mother than to his adoptive mother. How should you interpret these data?
A) Personality appears to be a polygenetic characteristic.
B) Personality characteristics are learned.
C) Personality characteristics are influenced by genes.
D) Personality characteristics appear to be recessive.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that José's personality characteristics are more similar to his biological mother than his adoptive mother suggests that personality is influenced by genes. This is supported by research on identical twins raised apart, which shows that despite different environments, they tend to have more similar personalities than fraternal twins raised together. This indicates that genetic factors play a significant role in shaping personality.

José, Who Was Adopted at Birth, Is Found to Have