Deck 11: A: Behavior Genetics and Evolutionary Psychology

Question 1

The nucleus of your body cells contains

A) DNA molecules.
B) chromosomes.
C) genes.
D) all of these elements.

Answer 1

all of these elements.

Question 2

Studies of identical twins who had been reared apart has most clearly increased scientific appreciation for the importance of ________ in personality development.

A) extraversion
B) gender schemas
C) home environments
D) genetic influences

Answer 2

genetic influences

Question 3

Assessing the relative effects of nature and nurture on individual differences in personality would be of most direct interest to

A) evolutionary psychologists.
B) behaviorists.
C) behavior geneticists.
D) Freudian psychologists.

Answer 3

behavior geneticists.

Question 4

As members of the human family, we all share a common

A) temperament.
B) cultural background.
C) biological heritage.
D) social upbringing.

Question 5

For every three sets of identical twins, one pair of identical twins is likely to have

A) two different genomes.
B) two separate placentas.
C) an extra set of chromosomes.
D) only one sex chromosome.

Question 6

Fraternal twins originate from the fertilization of

A) a single egg cell by a single sperm cell.
B) two egg cells by a single sperm cell.
C) a single egg cell by two sperm cells.
D) two egg cells by two sperm cells.

Question 7

The threadlike structures in the cell nucleus are called

A) genes.
B) proteins.
C) genomes.
D) chromosomes.

Question 8

The complete set of genetic instructions in an organism's chromosomes is called the

A) heritability index.
B) DNA molecule.
C) genome.
D) gene replication.

Question 9

Beginning early in their prenatal development, identical twins are

A) placental.
B) epigenetic.
C) monozygotic.
D) different genders.

Question 10

Genes provide the code for the production of

A) the placenta.
B) proteins.
C) synapses.
D) genomes.

Question 11

Chromosomes are located within human

A) bone cells.
B) genes.
C) neurotransmitters.
D) DNA.

Question 12

Matt becomes emotionally upset quite frequently and quickly loses his temper. Matt's reactions most clearly illustrate

A) extraversion.
B) neuroticism.
C) an epigenetic mark.
D) his genome.

Question 13

Genetic influences on personality traits are most clearly highlighted by comparing ________ with ________.

A) identical twins raised together; identical twins raised apart
B) fraternal twins raised together; identical twins raised apart
C) identical twins raised together; fraternal twins raised together
D) fraternal twins raised apart; identical twins raised together

Question 14

Twin studies suggest that a strong influence on emotional instability comes from

A) genetic predispositions.
B) the male chromosome.
C) gender.
D) mutations.

Question 15

Our genetic predispositions help to explain

A) our shared human nature but not our human diversity.
B) our human diversity but not our shared human nature.
C) neither our shared human nature nor our human diversity.
D) both our shared human nature and our human diversity.

Question 16

Identical twins reared apart have ________ similar personalities than identical twins reared together and ________ similar personalities than fraternal twins reared apart.

A) more; more
B) less; less
C) more; less
D) less; more

Question 17

People's reactions to our genetic dispositions constitute part of our

A) temperament.
B) environment.
C) DNA.
D) heritability.

Question 18

Compared with identical twins, fraternal twins are

A) more likely to be the same sex and more likely to be similar in extraversion.
B) more likely to be the same sex and less likely to be similar in extraversion.
C) less likely to be the same sex and less likely to be similar in extraversion.
D) less likely to be the same sex and equally likely to be similar in extraversion.

Question 19

The threadlike structures that contain genes are called

A) synapses.
B) epigenetics.
C) chromosomes.
D) genomes.

Question 20

External influences on development such as social support are said to constitute our

A) genome.
B) nature.
C) environment.
D) temperament.

Question 21

Our enduring personality traits are first evident in our differing

A) birth weights.
B) genders.
C) temperaments.
D) reproductive capacities.

Question 22

Temperament is an individual's characteristic level of

A) social connectedness.
B) emotional reactivity.
C) physical health.
D) intelligence.

Question 23

A researcher who assesses the heritability of intelligence is most likely a(n)

A) social learning theorist.
B) evolutionary psychologist.
C) behavior geneticist.
D) behaviorist.

Question 24

Adopted children grow up to be

A) more self-giving than average.
B) less psychologically disordered than average.
C) more extraverted than average.
D) less confused about their identity than average.

Question 25

Pinpointing genes that put people at risk for genetically influenced disorders such as depression and schizophrenia best illustrates the goals of

A) social learning theorists.
B) Freudian psychiatrists.
C) molecular geneticists.
D) evolutionary psychologists.

Question 26

Heredity most clearly predisposes individual differences in

A) natural selection.
B) sexual behavior.
C) temperament.
D) DNA.

Question 27

Identical twins separated at birth and raised in completely different cultures would be most likely to have similar

A) politics.
B) religious beliefs.
C) temperaments.
D) values.

Question 28

The impact of genes on observable traits can vary in different environments. Thus, genes are said to be

A) neurotransmitters.
B) predictable.
C) self-regulating.
D) chromosome segments.

Question 29

Infants with an anxious and inhibited temperament have heart rates that tend to be relatively

A) low and variable.
B) high and variable.
C) low and invariable.
D) high and invariable.

Question 30

Today's adults are taller and heavier than those of a century ago. The differences between these generational groups illustrate the impact of

A) genetics.
B) nutrition.
C) temperament.
D) a pruning process.

Question 31

Molecular geneticists would be most interested in studying

A) chromosome segments.
B) human adaptability.
C) gender.
D) mutations.

Question 32

Those who inappropriately attribute children's troubling personality traits to inadequate parental nurture should be reminded of the importance of

A) gender identity.
B) genetic predispositions.
C) brain plasticity.
D) the female chromosome.

Question 33

The best reason to be cautious about attributing all the personality similarities of separated twins to genetic factors is that

A) home environments have less impact on personality than does peer influence.
B) adoption agencies tend to place separated twins in similar homes.
C) infant temperaments have a strong impact on personality development.
D) adopted children's personalities are highly similar to those of their adoptive parents.

Question 34

The heritability of a specific trait will be lowest among

A) genetically similar individuals who have been raised in similar environments.
B) genetically similar individuals who have been raised in dissimilar environments.
C) genetically dissimilar individuals who have been raised in similar environments.
D) genetically dissimilar individuals who have been raised in dissimilar environments.

Question 35

Behavior geneticists are most likely to use twin and adoption studies to assess

A) human fitness.
B) trait heritability.
C) reproductive capacity.
D) brain maturation.

Question 36

Adoptive parents are most likely to influence the ________ of their adopted children.

A) political attitudes
B) gender identity
C) extraversion
D) temperament

Question 37

Exceptionally inhibited and fearful infants tend to become introverted adolescents. This best illustrates the long-term stability of

A) temperament.
B) adoptive parenting.
C) adaptability.
D) the female chromosome.

Question 38

Lynnae is usually timid and fearful, whereas her sister Eileen is typically relaxed and cheerful. The two sisters are most strikingly different in their

A) brain plasticity.
B) values.
C) physical health.
D) temperament.

Question 39

The capacity to screen and select human fertilized eggs for such desirable personality traits as friendliness and emotional stability is one of the potentials of

A) cultural neuroscience.
B) molecular genetics.
C) evolutionary psychology.
D) natural selection.

Question 40

The diversity of human traits is enabled by our shared

A) mutations.
B) temperament.
C) collectivism.
D) adaptive capacity.

Question 41

The prevalence of genetically predisposed traits that have a reproductive advantage is best explained in terms of

A) social learning.
B) natural selection.
C) behavior genetics.
D) a pruning process.

Question 42

Mutations result from random errors in

A) brain development.
B) gene replication.
C) natural selection.
D) neurotransmission.

Question 43

Our selective exposure to those life experiences that are best suited to our unique temperaments best illustrates the interaction of

A) extraversion and agreeableness.
B) nature and nurture.
C) neural connections and development.
D) genes and chromosomes.

Question 44

Evolutionary psychologists are most directly concerned with the impact of ________ on behavior.

A) the human genome
B) DNA
C) genetic predispositions
D) environments

Question 45

Evolutionary psychologists suggest that "a universal moral grammar" arises from our shared

A) human genome.
B) epigenetic molecules.
C) evocative interactions.
D) inhibited temperament.

Question 46

Which of the following would likely prevent DNA from producing the proteins coded by a gene?

A) epigenetic molecules
B) neurotransmitters
C) a mutation
D) sex chromosomes

Question 47

Which of the following terms refers to the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female?

A) serotonin
B) gender
C) genome
D) chromosome

Question 48

An evolutionary psychologist would be likely to suggest that human preferences for sweet-tasting foods

A) have hindered human reproduction.
B) are genetically predisposed.
C) vary widely across cultures.
D) are influenced by gender expectations.

Question 49

Compared with women, men are more likely to

A) report low levels of marital satisfaction.
B) smile at members of the opposite sex.
C) perceive simple friendliness as a sexual come-on.
D) attribute their first sexual behaviors to feelings of affection.

Question 50

Compared with men, women are ________ likely to initiate sex and ________ likely to think about sex.

A) less; more
B) more; more
C) less; less
D) more; less

Question 51

Men rape women much more frequently than women rape men. Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to explain this in terms of sex differences in

A) individuality.
B) reproductive capacity.
C) extraversion.
D) body size.

Question 52

Evolutionary psychology would be most helpful for understanding the ________ human aggression.

A) social causes of
B) reproductive advantages of
C) cross-cultural variations of
D) remedial treatments of

Question 53

To produce sheepdogs that become very adept at sheep herding, dog breeders have been most likely to make use of

A) cloning.
B) gene replication.
C) selective mating.
D) epigenetic markers.

Question 54

If a genetic predisposition to fear darkness contributes to reproductive success, that trait will likely be passed on to subsequent generations. This best illustrates

A) gene replication.
B) behavior genetics.
C) interaction.
D) natural selection.

Question 55

Environmental factors such as diet, drugs, or stress can alter gene expression by affecting

A) sex chromosomes.
B) heritability.
C) epigenetic molecules.
D) the pruning process.

Question 56

Gay male couples report having sex ________ often than do lesbian couples; in Vermont and Massachusetts, men were ________ likely than women to secure same-sex legal partnerships when these first became available.

A) more; less
B) less; more
C) more; more
D) less; less

Question 57

Evolutionary psychologists emphasize that environmentally adaptive behaviors are those that have promoted

A) reproductive success.
B) personal happiness.
C) cultural diversity.
D) individuality.

Question 58

The principles of evolutionary psychology would suggest that parents are genetically predisposed to experience the strongest grief over the deaths of their

A) infant sons.
B) infant daughters.
C) adolescent sons.
D) adolescent daughters.

Question 59

Because Marla is the first girl in her fourth-grade class to sexually mature, she is sometimes teased and rejected by her classmates. Marla's sense of social isolation and embarrassment result from the interaction of

A) male and female chromosomes.
B) nature and nurture.
C) the human genome and specific genes.
D) neurotransmitters and brain development.

Question 60

Epigenetics is the study of influences on ______ that occur without a DNA change.

A) brain plasticity
B) gender
C) gene expression
D) natural selection

Question 61

Critics of evolutionary psychology would be most likely to suggest that it has difficulty accounting for

A) differences in the behavior patterns of males and females.
B) similarities in the behavior patterns of males and females.
C) differences in the behavior patterns of Asians and Americans.
D) similarities in the behavior patterns of Asians and Americans.

Question 62

Professor Archibald suggests that men are more likely than women to initiate casual sex because this has historically served to be a more successful reproductive strategy for men than for women. The professor's suggestion best illustrates a(n) ________ theory.

A) social learning
B) evolutionary
C) epigenetic
D) Freudian

Question 63

Evolutionary psychologists have suggested that men are ________ likely than women to prefer mates with a fertile-looking appearance and ________ likely than women to prefer mates with wealth and social status.

A) more; more
B) less; less
C) more; less
D) less; more

Question 64

Ginger wants to marry someone who will provide financial security for her children-to-be. Evolutionary psychologists would most likely attribute Ginger's motivation to

A) social learning.
B) genetic predispositions.
C) her parents' influence.
D) her being the youngest in a family of six.

Question 65

Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to predict that 40-year-old men will marry women who are ________ than they are.

A) less physically attractive
B) more sexually experienced
C) younger
D) more aggressive toward sexual rivals

Question 66

Evolutionary psychologists are most likely to be criticized for

A) providing hindsight explanations for human behaviors.
B) overemphasizing humans' capacity to learn and adapt to a variety of environments.
C) underestimating gender differences in mate selection.
D) overestimating cultural differences in human sexual behaviors.