Heritabilities, by the multiple abstract variance analysis (MAVA) model and objective test measures, of personality traits U.I.23, capacity to mobilize, U.I.24, anxiety, U.I.26, narcistic ego and U.I.28, asthenia, by maximum-likelihood methods

1573-3297

personality source traits ; multiple abstract variance analysis (MAVA) ; maximum likelihood

Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000

Biology

Psychology

Abstract Heritability coefficients are offered for four personality source traits, measured by the O-A (objective-analytic) 2-h performance battery. Five family constellations covering a total sample of 1221 boys 12–18 years old yielded nine concrete variances which the MAVA (multiple abstract variance analysis) model resolves into seven abstract variances: σ2 wg , within family genetic; σ2 wt.s , within family threptic; σ2 wt.t , within family threptic for twins; σ2 bg , between family genetic; Г bgbt , correlation of genetic and threptic deviations across families, etc. Maximum likelihood was the method here used for the MAVA analysis. The best fit with maximum parsimony was to assume no genothreptic (Г wgwt ,Г bgbt ) correlations, but extension to the parsimony of assuming either no genetic or no threptic components gave no fit. The heritabilities found were compared with those from an earlier research and from a different (OSES) method applied to the present data. The agreement is quite good in assigning a moderate heritability value tocapacity to mobilize vs. regression, U.I.23 (H about 0.30), and toanxiety, U.I.24 (H about 0.50); only moderately consistent in assigning a moderateH value toasthenia, U.I.28 (H about 0.30); and poorly consistent in assigning a lowH value tonarcistic ego, U.I.26. It is pointed out (a) that the lowH for U.I.28 fits the theory of the origin of this trait well and (b) that, in view of estimates of the function fluctuation of U.I.23 and 24, a most probable conclusion is that a capacity to mobilize is quitesubstantially innate and a general proneness to anxiety islargely innate.

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