Recent years have been witness to a surge of interest in incorporating genetic components into on-going longitudinal developmental projects and related psychological studies. This has likely been a product of many factors: Genotyping costs have fallen rapidly, and numerous commercial options for obtaining genotypes are available. It is increasingly easy to obtain DNA, with options such as cheek swab and saliva sample kits being commercially marketed and low burden on participants. Further, there has been rapid growth in the field of genetics. The revolutions and advances that the field has experienced in recent years have brought genetics to the forefront of science. Media attention to these advances, including the highly publicized mapping of the human genome, has raised public awareness about the importance of genetics. Genetics has been at the center of major NIH funding initiatives, and the current Director of NIH, Francis Collins, is the former Director of the Human Genome Project.
