Deck 2: Genes and Behavior

Question 1

Which model suggests that individuals with genetic risks for disorders or maladaptive behaviors are most sensitive to environmental risk for those disorders?

A) Diathesis-stress model
B) Genetic drift
C) Natural selection
D) Mendelian disorder

Answer 1

Diathesis-stress model

Question 2

The cell to society approach of this text is consistent with all but which model?

A) Nature and nurture
B) Biosocial
C) Individual-environment interplay
D) Nature or nurture

Answer 2

Nature or nurture

Question 3

In behavioral genetics, which concept captures the role of genetic factors as a causal force for behavior?

A) Shared environment
B) Heritability
C) Nonshared environment
D) None of the above

Answer 3

Heritability

Question 4

In behavioral genetics, which concept relates to unique circumstances, such as friendship networks of twins?

A) Shared environment
B) Heritability
C) Nonshared environment
D) None of the above

Question 5

Many early-life family behaviors have been shown to influence behavior and moderate genetic factors. Parenting and other early-life home factors are consistent with which concept from behavioral genetics research?

A) Heritability
B) Shared environment
C) Nonshared environment
D) Parental socialization

Question 6

Multifactorial phenotypes are composed of all but which?

A) Genetic relatedness
B) Genes
C) Environments
D) The interaction of genes and environments

Question 7

Which concept conveys the notion that despite the effects of natural selection, a considerable amount of genetic evolution is random?

A) Central dogma of molecular biology
B) RNA
C) Mendelian disorder
D) Genetic drift

Question 8

Which concept relates to the idea that individual genes affect multiple phenotypes?

A) Pleiotropy
B) Polygeny
C) Multifactorial
D) None of the above

Question 9

Which describes genes that have different variants or forms?

A) Pleiotropy
B) Genetic polymorphism
C) Variance
D) Variation

Question 10

The first research to directly link a measured gene to a personality trait centered on which personality construct?

A) Extraversion
B) Introversion
C) Conscientiousness
D) Novelty seeking

Question 11

John Wright and colleagues examined the effects of prenatal and infant exposure to lead and its effects on behavior during adulthood. They found that higher levels of fetal and infant lead exposure were associated with higher levels of criminal activity and violent arrests during adulthood, even when they controlled for important correlates of offending, such as demographic characteristics of the mother and child. Which is a reason for the prospective link between lead exposure and crime?

A) Lead causes cancer
B) Lead reduces MAOA activity and interferes with synapse formation
C) Lead directly causes aggression
D) None of the above.

Question 12

Which has been referred to as the warrior gene because of its association with various forms of aggression and antisocial behavior?

A) DRD2
B) DRD4
C) MAOA
D) 5-HTTLPR

Question 13

The COMT gene is important for clinical social workers for which reason?

A) It is directly related to how well an individual follows through with treatment
B) It is the direct cause of personality
C) It is an enzyme that modulates dopamine levels in the brain that are involved in executive functioning
D) None of the above

Question 14

Which conditions are in part caused by genetic polymorphisms?

A) Autism
B) ADHD
C) Schizophrenia
D) All of the above

Question 15

Gene-environment interplay can be seen in which life stages?

A) Fetal environment and infancy
B) Childhood
C) Adolescence
D) Adulthood
E) All of the above

Question 16

Most human behaviors are the outcome of Mendelian disorders.

Question 17

There is extensive evidence that prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs contributes to neural dysfunction.

Question 18

It is likely that criminologists will find a single gene that causes crime.

Question 19

Social work professionals deal with genetics each day indirectly by responding to the traits, behaviors, and conditions of their clients.

Question 20

Social workers are powerless to change antisocial behavior because the behavior is genetically caused.

Question 21

Terrie Moffitt is a leading biosocial scientist whose work focuses on the genetic and environmental causes of antisocial behavior. What are some summary comments that she has made about this area of research?