Psychology

What between the two can impact personality more strongly, between genetics and the environment, especially in the case of cloning. There is the possibility that the clones adult personality mimics that of the person that donated the genetic code. The genetic characteristics strongly dictate the personality of the person. This is no different in the case of the clone. In cloning, what should be stressed is that the only difference is how the two were created, the original from natural birth while the other one a product of cloning. Besides that, the clones are expected to have strongly identical personality traits.

This is actually a tricky question because there are many things to consider. First, the parameters of the idea of mimic and the concept of the similarity of personality for the individual to strongly assert that either the clone is not in possession of personality similarities or the clone can be considered as in possession of the personality characteristics.

The assessment should identify guidelines, limits and parameters. It is clear what acceptable level of similarity in personality traits is. Similarly, the acceptable level which constitutes dissimilarity in personality of the adult clone from the personality of the adult individual that donated the genetic code. In the eventuality that the clones and the cloning of humans become a normal and accepted practice in the human society in the future, the question is not on the expectations on how similar the two individuals will be, but rather when the cases of deviation from pattern will arise. This will put the spotlight not on the discussion of human development, genetics and the role of the environment but the more primal characteristic of the human specie as well as other specie - development and evolution.

Cloning will no doubt result in the creation of an individual that possess similarities with the person from which the genetic code came from. What is worth waiting, anticipating, studying and breaking down is the case wherein the clone actually deviates from the patterns expected to be dictated by the genetics it inherited from the one that donated the genetic code. Thus, it creates a personality, behavior and attitude and perspective patterns totally or radically different from the donor of the genetic code.

That is the time when the clone will be unique. It will happen, sooner or later. The society should never forget that the human body, its intricacies and detail, its ability understood and left undiscovered, renders the human body capable of changing, sometimes in the most unexpected ways, in the most unexpected manner, in the most unexpected pacing. The baseline concept of clones and cloning is to create someone that is almost that person, so there are expected similarities and that is not surprising.

What is surprising is when clones break off from patterns and character trends and actually become unique. If and when this happens, the same question that has been the center of the tug of war battle in psychology will resurface. Is it because of genetics or nature, or because of the environment or the nurture aspect In itself, the clone will develop and grow. This individual is no different from the donor of the genetic code or from the non-clone human beings how their lives are shaped, their personality, their behavior, their decision, is affected by both genetics and the environment. In the end, one of the two appears to be more superior to the other. The truth is that this only highlights the aspect of either the environment or the genetics because they can connect it there. The individual simply reacted to the situation, weighed his or her options. After careful consideration of both genetics and the environment, the individual decides based on what his or her thinking dictates as the best option for him or her. This decision will either merit genetics or environment. The two factors are actually not the direct components that impacted the resolution of the predicament or dilemma the individual is in.

For example, the individuals genetic make up makes the individual lean towards being violent and hot headed because of some chemical conditions inside his or her body that makes the person lean strongly towards this characteristic. The environment he or she grew up in is not known for violent actions. When one time the individual was harassed and the individual did not resort to violence, this may mean that the environment overpower genetics. However, if the truth surfaces that the individual did not resort to violence because he or she also considered that the enemy is more than the person can handle and that fighting would mean death and the person is not intent on dying just yet, this then proves that environmental factors are more influential than genetics or vice-versa. Rather, there were simple practical considerations that weighed significantly in the decision-making that affected the perceived behavior and personality of the individual. Wallace (2009) wrote in a study he undertook that what he discovered was the creation of behaviors bound together by the individual (maybe as a connected series of behavior traits and patterns) (Wallace, 2009, p. 165). The process of binding behaviors among individuals, often, very little intervention from other human beings is needed. This means environment is seldom considered as a factor. The individual builds and creates his or her behavior based on natural instincts and how his or her natural body faculties naturally and normally respond to life and living. This helps explain this condition among human beings.

The same situation applies to the clone. During its adult life, it is not a robot that possesses artificial intelligence. Real human mental, emotional and psychological factors and functions will also come into play in his or her everyday decision making. In some cases, genetics on environment has nothing to do with the reasons for the actions. These actions define the personality or characteristic of the clone person. Not unless in the future, the clones purpose is simply to provide new organs for the donor to use, the clone never given the chance to live its own life. In this case, no personality will develop. In the end, imagining the personality of clones depend also on how clones will be treated by original non-clone human beings. They will definitely not be a persons twin, nor someone who follows the individual around. The odds are either the clones are allowed to live a normal healthy life that exposes the clones to the process of personality development. This involves both genetics and environment and with no clear definition on which is more influential than the other. Or they are locked away and kept, like a very costly personal material possession, like a doll or stuff toy.

Karremans and Verwimeren (2009) explained in their study that non-conscious behavioral mimicry or how the individual mimics unconsciously particular behavioral traits is partly goal directed (Karremans and Verwimeren, 2009, p. 393). This means if ever the clone mimics the personality of the gene donor, there is goal that the clone is pursuing and it is not just purely as a natural response to genetic characteristics and codes. This makes similarity in personalities easily detectable and not surprising. The deviations are the more interesting aspect in the study of the behavior of clones, vis--vis, the behavior and personality of the clone donor and where and how they are similar and different from one another and what it says about the concept of nurture versus nature.