To what extent does genetics influence behavior? Genes determine behavior to some extent, but they are not alone in doing so; the environment also has an impact. A research validating this is one conducted by Moffitt et al. (2002) 1where they studied maltreated children until adulthood to deduce the reason for the development of aggressive behavior in some of the children. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the impact of genes on aggression, the actions of a person with the intention of hurting another. The aim of Moffitt's study was to reason out why some of the mistreated children developed aggressive behavior while others did not. They carried out this research by using the hypothesis that the MAOA gene influences how the abusive upbringing
