Common beliefs about the heredity of human characteristics

Three groups of adult subjects indicated the extent to which they thought a number of human characteristics were affected by environmental as opposed to heredity factors. Regression analyses demonstrated a curvilinear relationship between belief in the influence of heredity and age (the weakest beliefs in heredity were found in subjects around the age of 25) and a negative linear relationship with education (low levels of education corresponded to strong beliefs in heredity). Moreover, it was shown that parents of adopted children and people with incomplete information about their own genetic backgrounds hold relatively strong beliefs in the influence of heredity.