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Jaime Derringer Ph.D.

About

Jaime Derringer, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research explores how genes and environments work together to influence human behavior, especially personality, depression, and disinhibition.

Recent Posts
What Causes Genes?
When a gene is found to be associated with a behavior, most people assume that the effect must flow from the gene to the behavior. But it could be the other way around.
Heritable Politics
What does heritability tell us about why people have different opinions, or how to get to agreement?
You Are What You 'Like'

Researchers can guess your personality, education, and political orientation from seemingly unrelated data about your online behavior, as long as they have a lot of it.

Researchers can guess your personality, education, and political orientation from seemingly unrelated data about your online behavior, as long as they have a lot of it.

Twins in Space

Media outlets reported that 7 percent of Scott Kelly's DNA changed after he spent 17 months in space. What actually happened, and what we can learn from the Kelly twins' DNA?

Media outlets reported that 7 percent of Scott Kelly's DNA changed after he spent 17 months in space. What actually happened, and what we can learn from the Kelly twins' DNA?

Birds of a Feather Smoke and Drink Together

We tend to be very similar to our friends. We have similar interests and lifestyles. We engage in similar patterns of smoking and drinking (or not). But why? Did we come together from the start because of our similarities? Do we actively encourage each other to change? Or are we all just responding similarly to a shared cultural milieu?

We tend to be very similar to our friends. We have similar interests and lifestyles. We engage in similar patterns of smoking and drinking (or not). But why? Did we come together from the start because of our similarities? Do we actively encourage each other to change? Or are we all just responding similarly to a shared cultural milieu?

"Sherri vs. Terri (226/365)"
A twin study primer

Much of psychology focuses on how people behave in general. As a behavior geneticist, I study what makes people different. One common way we explore differences between individuals is to compare twins.

Much of psychology focuses on how people behave in general. As a behavior geneticist, I study what makes people different. One common way we explore differences between individuals is to compare twins.