Cameron was adopted at birth, so now he is interested in studying the effects of adoption on child development. More specifically, Cameron wants to know if individual traits can be attributed more to genetics or to environmental conditions. Cameron is interested in the study of

• A. environmental chemistry.
• B. health science.
• C. behavioral genetics.
• D. physiology.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Begin by understanding the context of the problem: Cameron is interested in the effects of adoption on child development, specifically whether traits are influenced more by genetics or environment.
2. Identify the field of study that focuses on the influence of genetics and environment on individual traits. This field is known as behavioral genetics.
3. Behavioral genetics examines the role of genetic and environmental factors in shaping behaviors, which aligns with Cameron's interest in understanding the impact of adoption.
4. Consider why other options like environmental chemistry, health science, and physiology are not suitable. Environmental chemistry deals with chemical processes in the environment, health science focuses on health and wellness, and physiology studies biological functions, none of which directly address the genetic vs. environmental influence on traits.
5. Conclude that behavioral genetics is the appropriate field for Cameron's study, as it directly investigates the genetic and environmental contributions to individual differences in behavior and development.