Question 1

Adopted children grow up to be

Accepted Answer

The answer of Adopted children grow up to be
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Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Behavior geneticists use twin and adoption studies to assess the extent to which traits are heritable, meaning how much of the variation in a trait is due to genetic factors versus environmental factors. Epigenetic marks, reproductive capacity, and brain injuries are not typically studied using these methods.

Question 3

Some genetically influenced traits are expressed in some environments but not in others.This best illustrates the ________ of genes and environments.

Accepted Answer

The concept of genes and environments interacting refers to the fact that some genetic traits may only manifest in certain environmental conditions. This is known as gene-environment interaction.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

Infants with an anxious and inhibited temperament tend to have high and variable heart rates as a physiological response to stress and anxiety. This is in contrast to infants with a more easygoing temperament, who tend to have lower and more stable heart rates.

Question 5

Our characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity is known as our

Accepted Answer

Our characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity is known as our temperament. A person's temperament is determined by genetic, environmental, and cultural factors, and it influences how they approach and react to situations in their daily life.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Identical twins (who share 100% of their genes) raised together are more similar in personality traits than fraternal twins (who share approximately 50% of their genes) raised together, highlighting the influence of genetics on personality.

Question 7

Studies of identical twins who had been reared apart have most clearly increased scientific appreciation for the impact of ________ on personality development.

Accepted Answer

Studies of identical twins reared apart have shown that even though they were raised in different environments, they still exhibit remarkable similarities in personality traits. This suggests that genetic influences play a significant role in personality development.

Question 8

Molecular geneticists would be most directly interested in identifying the structure and function of specific

Accepted Answer

Molecular geneticists study genes, which are located on chromosomes. Therefore, they would be most interested in identifying the structure and function of specific chromosome segments.

Question 9

In one study of more than 900 New Zealanders,emotionally reactive and impulsive 3-year-olds developed into somewhat more impulsive and conflict-prone 21-year-olds.This best illustrates the long-term stability of

Accepted Answer

The study describes the consistency of certain personality traits (emotional reactivity and impulsivity) from early childhood to adulthood, suggesting that these traits are stable over time. This is indicative of temperament, which refers to an individual's innate predispositions and characteristic patterns of behavior. The other answer choices (adaptive capacity, epigenetic marks, shared family environments) do not specifically account for the consistency of personality traits over time.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

Identical twins reared apart have less similar personalities than those reared together due to different environments, but more similar personalities than fraternal twins reared apart due to genetic similarities.

Question 11

Lynnae is usually shy,whereas her sister Eileen is typically outgoing.The two sisters are most strikingly different in their

Accepted Answer

Lynnae and Eileen's differences in shyness and outgoingness are likely due to variations in their innate temperaments, rather than their health or epigenetic marks. Adaptive capacity, the ability to adjust to changing circumstances, is not specifically relevant to this scenario.

Question 12

The heritability of a specific trait will be lowest among

Accepted Answer

The heritability of a specific trait is defined as the proportion of the total variation in that trait that is due to genetic variation in a specific population. The heritability of a trait is highest when genetic variation is the primary cause of variation in that trait. However, if environmental variation is the primary cause of variation in that trait, then the heritability will be lower. Therefore, among genetically similar individuals, those raised in dissimilar environments are likely to have different environmental experiences that can lead to greater environmental variation in the trait, resulting in a lower heritability value.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Adoptive parents are most likely to influence the political attitudes of their adopted children through the environment they create, the values they instill, and the discussions they have at home, rather than influencing biological aspects such as the genome, extraversion, or temperament, which are more strongly influenced by genetics.

Question 14

Enduring behavioral traits such as social anxiety or impulsivity are first evident in our differing

Accepted Answer

Temperaments refer to innate, biologically-based patterns of behavior and reactivity that are present from birth or early childhood. These tendencies can influence the development of enduring traits, such as social anxiety or impulsivity, which may persist into adulthood. Heritability estimates, epigenetic marks, and shared family environments can also influence these traits, but the question specifically asks for the "first evident" factor, which suggests a focus on temperament.

Question 15

The diversity of human traits is most clearly enabled by our shared

Accepted Answer

The diversity of human traits is enabled by our adaptive capacity, which allows us to respond to a wide range of environmental pressures and challenges. This adaptability is a crucial component of our evolutionary success and has led to the development of a wide variety of physical, cognitive, and behavioral traits in different populations and environments. Moral values, temperament, and epigenetic molecules may play a role in shaping individual variation and expression of traits, but they do not account for the overall diversity of traits across the human species.

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

Temperament is largely determined by genetics and has been shown to have a strong heritable component. Therefore, identical twins separated at birth would likely share similar temperamental traits, regardless of the cultural environment in which they were raised. While epigenetic marks can be influenced by environmental factors, they are not necessarily identical even between genetically identical individuals. Religious beliefs and political views are heavily influenced by cultural and environmental factors, and therefore would be less likely to be similar in twins raised in different cultures.

Question 17

Today's adults are taller and heavier than those of a century ago.The differences between these generational groups are best attributed to differences in

Accepted Answer

The increase in height and weight can be attributed to improvements in nutrition over the past century, rather than genetic changes, as these changes occur over too short a time period for genetic evolution to have a significant impact. Temperament and epigenetic molecules are not directly related to physical size and weight.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

The concept of temperament emphasizes the role of innate factors in shaping a child's personality and behavior and highlights that children have distinct, biologically-based patterns of emotional reactivity and self-regulation. By reminding individuals of the persistence of temperament, we can counter the assumption that all problematic behaviors in children are solely the result of poor parenting.

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

Assessing the heritability of intelligence falls under the domain of behavior genetics, which studies the role of genetics in behavior and personality. Molecular geneticists focus more on the study of genes themselves and their functions, while evolutionary psychologists examine the adaptive significance of behavior and cognition. Freudian psychologists subscribe to the theory of psychoanalysis, which emphasizes the influence of unconscious desires and conflicts on behavior.

Question 20

The best reason to be cautious about attributing all the personality similarities of separately raised identical twins to shared genes is that

Accepted Answer

Identical twins, even when raised separately, share the same genetic makeup, which can lead to similar physical appearances. These similar appearances can cause others to treat them similarly, which in turn can influence their personalities. This phenomenon suggests that the environment, specifically how others respond to them based on their looks, plays a significant role in shaping personality, alongside genetics. This is why attributing personality similarities solely to genetics without considering environmental factors like the responses of others can be overly simplistic.

Quiz 5: Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity