Incorporating a Discussion of Genetic Attributions Into Psychology Courses

Abstract

A highly relevant construct that may need more emphasis in our psychology courses is genetic attributions. Attributions are causal explanations people make for specific behaviors, characteristics, occurrences, or differences. Research has found that genetic attributions are related to numerous biopsychosocial phenomena (e.g., perceptions about one’s own health, attitudes toward others) that impact individuals and societies. Unfortunately, often these causal attributions are linked to problematic outcomes. For example, genetic attributions for the etiology of illness are often associated with decreased personal control and well-being. Additionally, genetic attributions for group differences are related to psychological essentialism (i.e., the belief that members of a group all share a deep, underlying “essence”), which, in turn, tends to be associated with stereotyping and prejudice. With the following brief overview of theoretical and empirical work related to genetic attributions, I discuss how instructors can incorporate discussions of this important concept into their psychology courses.