Suppose that a researcher measures a trait in many pairs of identical twins and many pairs of fraternal twins.If the researcher finds that the correlation for identical twins on this trait was .60 and that the correlation for fraternal twins was .30,what would this tell us about the heritability of the trait? (Assume that all twins of the same pair were raised together.For the purpose of this question,accept all assumptions about the use of this twin design. )

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The higher correlation for identical twins (.60) compared to fraternal twins (.30) suggests that there is a significant genetic component to the trait. The fact that the correlation for identical twins is higher than for fraternal twins suggests that additive genetic influences (i.e. the combined effect of multiple genes) are likely to be the main source of heritability, rather than non-additive genetic influences (such as dominance or epistasis). Therefore, choice C is the most appropriate answer.

Suppose That a Researcher Measures a Trait in Many Pairs