Sci-Fi Final Project

Beyond Mendelian Flowers:
A New Age of Discovery!
25 A.D.

PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology has always been fascinated with the influence of nature and nurture upon human development. Cloning is fast becoming the way to answer all of their questions once and for all. Formerly, twin studies were conducted using identical and fraternal twins. But since clones are not legally people, the ethics concerning them are far less stringent. In addition, there has long been the debate that not all so-called "identical twins" are really 100% genetically identical. They experience different things in the womb; then there is the whole "discordant monozygotic twins" discovery of subtle genetic differences in some pairs of identical twins.
Cloning takes care of these problems by ensuring genetically identical beings. Many projects have been undertaken in the area of psychology using pairs of infant clones:

How does the lack of an environment affect human development?
One of a pair of cloned infants was raised in a normal environment, while another was raised in the confines of the N&N laboratory, with diminished, (or nonexistent) social interaction. The effects on development were compared as the clones aged. We manipulated one or more of the following variables in the laboratory-raised clone:
Availability of an attachment figure.
Availability of opportunities to hear language.
Opportunities to use visual abilities (i.e., to see).
Opportunities for social interaction.
Many other variables.

How much does the environment contribute to personality?
We cloned four infants and placed them in four different environments.
a healthy, happy family with two parents and a sibling.
a happy single-parent home with no siblings.
A broken home: divorced family which does not get along.
An abused and battered home.

We also instigated a parallel study by placing the clones in homes at different income-levels: upper class, middle class, lower class, and extreme poverty. ("Parents" get paid to raise these clones, and believe them to be foster children.)

Back to Beyond Mendelian Flowers
Last Modified: 5/4/98
Wendy Elizabeth Kemp

Beyond Mendelian Flowers: A New Age of Discovery! 25 A.D.

PSYCHOLOGY

Back to Beyond Mendelian Flowers Last Modified: 5/4/98 Wendy Elizabeth Kemp

Beyond Mendelian Flowers:
A New Age of Discovery!
25 A.D.

Back to Beyond Mendelian Flowers
Last Modified: 5/4/98
Wendy Elizabeth Kemp