Final answer:
The correct answer is D) diathesis-stress model. It describes the interaction of genetic vulnerability with environmental stressors in the development of psychological disorders. The research on adoptees with a high genetic risk for schizophrenia supports this model, revealing the significant role both genes and environment play in mental health.
Step-by-step explanation:
The view that psychological disorders are produced by the interaction of a genetic vulnerability and environmental factors and life events is referred to as the diathesis-stress model. This model posits that psychological disorders develop due to a combination of a genetic predisposition or vulnerability and stressors that are encountered in the environment. It implies that while a person may have a genetic susceptibility to certain disorders, such as schizophrenia, those disorders only manifest when triggered by environmental stressors or life events.
According to this model, our genes and environmental factors do not act independently, but interact with each other. This interaction includes not just a unidirectional impact of the environment on gene expression but also how our genetic makeup can shape the environments we are exposed to. The research on adoptees with a high genetic risk for schizophrenia reinforces the diathesis-stress model by showing that a disturbed home environment significantly increases the likelihood of developing the disorder, despite the genetic risk.
Epigenetics is a related field that examines changes in gene expression over a single human lifetime, which can be influenced by environmental exposure. These epigenetic shifts can have phenotypical consequences, often affecting not just individuals but also future generations.