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-domi- t1_ixwoua0 wrote

Reply to comment by mvdenk in Study of families finds evidence of intergenerational transmission of Dark Triad traits and emotional reactivity by chrisdh79

Sure, but unless the study can tell you how much of this is genetic, the statement is just "the asshole doesn't fall far from the tree," which is trivial.

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7heTexanRebel t1_ixwqtx4 wrote

That was my initial reaction as well. Unless genetic heritability is tested this is just a "scientists prove that every 60 seconds a minute passes" study.

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mvdenk t1_ixydtvm wrote

It was not yet clear how much (dark) behavioral patterns are passed on due to genetics vs due to upbringing, this article contributes to this insight.

Also, "this is trivial" is bad science, we need to always test our hypotheses before we can be sure™ (we can never be 100% sure, but we can make it probable borderlining certainty). I hate these "this was trivial anyway" statements every time I see them.

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-domi- t1_ixzi12y wrote

I mean, sure. But if the study is only on assholes, then it won't tell you how many non-asshole parents have asshole lids. That's one side of the coin gone. And if this study doesn't control for nurture, then really all it can tell you is what percentage of the time the studied assholes have asshole kids, without even addressing why. Sounds like the sturdy has scoped itself out of being able to produce very profound results, why wouldn't its conclusion be trivial?

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