The issue of the relationships between genes and human behavior, both normal and abnormal, has a long and controversial history. Much progress has been made in understanding these relationships over recent decades, and the “nature versus nurture” debate is no longer relevant. Now, as the role of both genetic and environmental factors in shaping individual differences in human behavior is universally recognized, the focus of research has shifted towards the understanding of how genetic factors influence behavior. Because genes can influence behavior only to the extent that they influence the brain (Lomov and Ravich-Shcherbo, 1978), to address this question we need to elucidate the neural pathways and mechanisms that mediate the link between genes and behavior, including both normal individual differences and psychopathology. The main paths connecting genes, brain, and behavior are shown in Fig. 1. Psychophysiology is well positioned to address this question, thanks to its growing arsenal of methods for elucidating neural mechanisms underlying human behavior, from basic reflexes to complex social interactions.
