Tag: genetic explanations
Schizophrenia Twin Research as Reported in The Gene: An Intimate History...
In his 2016 book The Gene: An Intimate History, cancer physician and researcher Siddhartha Mukherjee chronicled the initial idea of the gene, taking readers through the history of genetics up to the current āpost-genomeā period by interweaving science, social history, and his own personal narrative. In the process he documented some of the crimes of the eugenics movement and the monstrous atrocities committed by German National Socialism in the name of eugenics and biology, while noting the Naziās promotion of twin research. He also criticized aspects of intelligence testing and genetic theories of racial inferiority based on IQ tests. At the same time, Mukherjee supported and promoted many contemporary behavioral genetics positions.
Twin Method Assumptions are Indefensible, but are Useful to the Rich...
The wealthy, and the institutions they finance and promote, look favorably upon research whose authors claim that economic disparities are rooted in biology, and are not harmful to humanity as a whole. But there are countless obvious real-world examples showing that political policies, social struggles, and public health programs, including those involving the adjustment of income differences, lead to improved health and well-being.
Comments on Jeffrey Lieberman and Ogi Ogasā Wall Street Journal Article...
The March 3rd, 2016 edition of the Wall Street Journal featured an article by past President of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Jeffrey Lieberman and his colleague, computational neuroscientist Ogi Ogas. The article was entitled āGenetics and Mental IllnessāLetās Not Get Carried Away.ā In their piece, the authors started by expressing the belief that a recent study identified a gene that causes schizophrenia, and then discussed whether it is desirable or possible to remove allegedly pathological genes in the interest of creating a future āmentally perfect society.ā The authors of the article, like many previous textbook authors, seem unfamiliar with the questionable āevidenceā put forward by psychiatry as proof that its disorders are āhighly heritableā In fact, DSM-5 Task Force Chair David Kupfer admitted that āweāre still waitingā for the discovery of ābiological and genetic markersā for psychiatric disorders.
“Mental Illness and Familial Influences”
"Let us be clear that claims about established genetic or biochemical causation for mental distress are, as things stand, entirely fictional," writes Dr Lucy...
“Bewitching Science” Revisited: Tales of Reunited Twins and the Genetics...
In this article I will attempt to debunk one of the great āscientificā smoke and mirrors shows of the past half centuryāthe claim that stories of reunited separated MZ (monozygotic, identical) twin pairs indicate that heredity plays a major role in causing human behavioral differences. These stories, which are often used to sell the false ideology of genetic determinism, have entered the public imagination in a way that academic research results never could. Here I will show that these stories provide no evidence whatsoever that (as yet undiscovered) āgenes for behaviorā influence human behavioral development.
Breaking News! The Cause of Schizophrenia Finally Discovered!(?)
On January 27, 2016, a study1 was published online in the prestigious journal Nature that touted the possibility of discovering some potential biological origins of an "illness" called "schizophrenia" Subsequently, headlines across the world beamed excited proclamations of the latest breakthrough to occur in psychiatric research. The problem is, there is nothing profound about this study at all and, in fact, it is one of the least profound studies to emerge in the last few years on the topic of "schizophrenia." It ignores the robust support that has accumulated that undermines the genetic disease model of "mental illness" and the categorical understanding of experiences falling under the umbrella term "schizophrenia."
Schizophrenia and Genetics: A Closer Look at the Evidence
āThe substantial hereditary component in schizophrenia,ā a pair of researchers wrote in 1993, āis surely one of the two or three best-established facts in psychiatry.ā But is it really? For mainstream psychiatry and psychiatric genetics, schizophrenia is āa severe mental disorder with a lifetime risk of about 1%, characterized by hallucinations, delusions and cognitive deficits, with heritability estimated at up to 80%,ā or a āhighly heritable neuropsychiatric disorder of complex genetic etiology.ā Many commentators have challenged these claims, and some have challenged the concept of schizophrenia itself.
Pleading Insanity By Genetics Can Backfire for Defendants
āGenetic explanations for violent crimes may encourage jurors to support an insanity defense, but jurors may also believe the defendant is a persistent threat who will commit more crimes in the future,ā Science Daily reports. A study on over 600 participants found that when people read a genetic explanation for a violent murder they attributed less blame to the defendant but recommended a longer sentence.