''The Gene Illusion'' is a 2003 book by
clinical psychologist Jay Joseph
James Jay Joseph (born April 13, 1959) is an American clinical psychologist and author. He practices psychology in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is known for his criticisms of behavior genetics and twin studies in psychology and psychiatry. His ...
, in which the author challenges the evidence underlying
genetic theories in
psychiatry
Psychiatry is the specialty (medicine), medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psych ...
and
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...
. Focusing primarily on
twin
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
and adoption studies, he attempts to debunk the
methodologies
In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for bri ...
used to establish genetic contributions to
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...
,
criminal behaviour
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
, and
IQ. In the
nature and nurture debate on the
causes of mental disorders
A mental disorder is an impairment of the mind disrupting normal thinking, feeling, mood, behavior, or social interactions, and accompanied by significant distress or dysfunction. The causes of mental disorders are very complex and vary dependin ...
, Joseph's criticisms of
genetic research in psychiatry have found their place among those who argue that the environment is overwhelmingly the cause of these disorders, particularly with psychiatry critic
Jonathan Leo,
[ ] and with
Oliver James. It was also reviewed favorably in ''
Choice
A choice is the range of different things from which a being can choose. The arrival at a choice may incorporate motivators and models. For example, a traveler might choose a route for a journey based on the preference of arriving at a give ...
'' and the ''British Journal of Learning Disabilities''. Some of the conclusions of ''The Gene Illusion'' have been criticized in reviews of the book.
See also
*
Anti-psychiatry
Anti-psychiatry is a movement based on the view that psychiatric treatment is often more damaging than helpful to patients, highlighting controversies about psychiatry. Objections include the reliability of psychiatric diagnosis, the questionabl ...
*
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder controversies
*
Biological psychiatry
*
Biopsychiatry controversy
The biopsychiatry controversy is a dispute over which viewpoint should predominate and form a basis of psychiatric theory and practice. The debate is a criticism of a claimed strict biological view of psychiatric thinking. Its critics include dis ...
*
Causes of schizophrenia
Risk factors of schizophrenia include many genetic and environmental phenomena. The prevailing model of schizophrenia is that of a special neurodevelopmental disorder with no precise boundary or single cause (i.e. arises from multiple mechanisms). ...
*
Inheritance of intelligence
* ''
Mad in America''
References
External links
Jay Joseph's Web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gene Illusion, The
2003 non-fiction books
Anti-psychiatry books
Biology of bipolar disorder
English-language books
Genetics books
Books about schizophrenia