Description

Discussion: What are the two ways in which our "biology" may influence the types of experiences we have? Provide examples of these two ways using current research.  Please LIST  references

In one’s upbringing, there are many factors that may influence how they perceive the environment

around them. Some of these factors may be fleeting and only last a moment but for others there may be

other characteristics of their life that last forever. For this discussion I will write about the biological

factors that influences one’s life experiences.

There are many factors that one may be exposed to that change their experiences in their environment.

Biological factors, what we are born with or that happens naturally in the body, can influence change in

our perceptions and experiences. Williams Syndrome (WS) is a biological condition where gene

information is deleted on chromosome 7 which results in cognitive, behavioral, and psychiatric

abnormalities. Muramatsu, Tokita, Mizuno, & Nakamura (2017) state that “WS is known for its uneven

cognitive abilities in addition to cardiovascular symptoms and distinctive facial appearance. In particular,

the visuo-spatial difficulties and “so called” hyper-sociability are characteristic of this syndrome” (2017,

pg. 146). The visuo-spatial difficulties are where biology influences one’s experiences in that objects may

be perceived differently to those with WS than to those who do not. In their study, Muramatsu et. al.

(2017) show a picture of a block structure to those with WS and their goal is to build the structure that is

shown before them. The results show that there are difficulties when attempting to build the structure

ranging from very similar to very different results that were built.

Another biological factor that may influence one’s experiences is the Autism spectrum disorder. This

disorder is characterized by social deficits, and repetitive behaviors (Vries & Geurts, 2015). Because this

disorder is so pervasive, children with this diagnosis tend to experience a low quality of life

unfortunately (Vries & Geurts, 2015). This disorder affects the consumer in that the social deficits cause

difficulties when trying to communicate with others. It can be hard for this population who are lower

functioning to fully explain how they are feeling or what they want at the moment which can cause

frustration when others do not understand their needs.

By using diseases and disorders to explain how others experience their lives, we can get an idea

of what it is like for these populations to live and what complications they undergo in every day

experiences.

References

Muramatsu, Y., Tokita, Y., Mizuno, S., & Nakamura, M. (2017). Disparities in visuospatial constructive

abilities in Williams syndrome patients with a typical deletion on chromosome 7q11.23. Brain &

Development, 39(2), 145-153. doi:10.1016/j.braindev.2016.09.003

Vries, M., & Geurts, H. (2015). Influence of Autism Traits and Executive Functioning on Quality of Life in

Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal Of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 45(9), 2734-

2743. doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2438-1