If a study finds that the heritability of aggression is 40 percent, it means that
A) 40 percent of the population will behave very aggressively.
B) a person who commits a crime has a 40 percent chance of having aggressive parents.
C) only one of a set of identical twins born to aggressive parents will inherit aggression.
D) 40 percent of the variability in aggression in the population is due to variations in the genes in that population.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Heritability refers to the proportion of variability in a trait that can be explained by genetic differences among individuals in a population. Therefore, if the heritability of aggression is 40 percent, it means that 40 percent of the variability in aggression in the population can be attributed to genetic variation. This does not mean that 40 percent of the population will behave aggressively or that a person who commits a crime has a 40 percent chance of having aggressive parents, and it is not solely determined by genetics in identical twins born to aggressive parents.

If a Study Finds That the Heritability of Aggression Is