Question 1

Which individual with a genetic predisposition toward being extroverted is demonstrating successful niche-picking?

Accepted Answer

Niche-picking is the process of actively seeking out environments and opportunities that fit with one's genetic predispositions. Being extroverted means that an individual is likely to seek stimulation and enjoy social interaction. A game-show host profession offers a highly stimulating environment with a lot of social interaction, making it an excellent fit for an extroverted individual, such as Wink. Therefore, A) Wink is the best choice demonstrating successful niche-picking.

Question 2

As a behavioral geneticist, Juan would most likely be studying

Accepted Answer

As a behavioral geneticist, Juan would be studying the genetic basis of behavior. Therefore, researching a gene that is believed to cause shyness would be a likely area of focus.

Question 3

Which statement is true?

Accepted Answer

Environmental influences within a family, such as parenting styles, economic status, and family dynamics, can all contribute to differences between siblings even if they share the same genes.

B is incorrect because genes can influence the environment to which a person is exposed, through their physical and behavioral traits that affect how others interact with them.

C is incorrect because the behavioral consequences of genetic instructions can be modified by environmental factors, such as learning and socialization.

D is incorrect because the impact of environment on heredity can persist throughout the lifespan, as environmental factors can interact with genetic factors to influence development and behavior.

Question 4

John and Wayne have the exact same genes. This indicates that they must be

Accepted Answer

Monozygotic twins are identical twins that come from a single fertilized egg that splits into two embryos, resulting in two individuals with the exact same genes. Dizygotic twins, on the other hand, come from two separate eggs fertilized by two separate sperm, and may have some different genes. Heterozygous and co-dominant are not applicable in this scenario as they refer to different genetic traits and do not relate to whether two individuals have the same genes.

Question 5

Monozygotic is to dizygotic as

Accepted Answer

Monozygotic refers to identical twins who develop from a single fertilized egg, while dizygotic refers to fraternal twins who develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two different sperm. Therefore, the analogy here is that monozygotic is to one egg as dizygotic is to two eggs. Choice A is incorrect because it refers to the number of mothers, which is not directly related to the number of eggs. Choices C and D are also incorrect because they refer to different genetic concepts that are not directly related to zygosity.

Question 6

The concept that genotypes are not the only things that control traits involves the fact that

Accepted Answer

The concept of genotype-environment interaction recognizes that while genetics play a major role in determining traits, environmental factors can also influence how those traits are expressed. This means that even with the same genotype, individuals may exhibit different phenotypes depending on their environment. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer as it acknowledges that different phenotypes can arise from the same genotype. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect as they do not accurately address the concept of genotype-environment interaction.

Question 7

Nonshared environmental influences involve forces that make siblings

Accepted Answer

Nonshared environmental influences refer to experiences and factors that differ between siblings, leading to differences in their behavior, personality, and development. Therefore, the best choice is D because it describes the siblings being different from one another. A is incorrect because nonshared environmental influences actually make siblings behave differently, not identically. B is incorrect because homozygosity has to do with genetics rather than environmental influences. C is incorrect because dizygotic twins are simply siblings born at the same time and do not necessarily relate to nonshared environmental influences.

Question 8

Which result would not support the idea that genes play a significant role in behavior?

Accepted Answer

Finding dizygotic twins to be more similar than monozygotic twins would suggest that environmental factors are more important than genetic factors in determining behavior.

Question 9

Which statement best exemplifies the basic premise of behavioral genetics?

Accepted Answer

Behavioral genetics suggests that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of personality traits. Option A and B are extreme and do not take into account the interaction between genes and environment. Option C is too narrow and does not reflect the complexity of traits. Option D acknowledges the variability in personality and recognizes that genes and environment both play a role in shaping individual differences.

Question 10

José, who was adopted at birth, is found to have personality characteristics more similar to his biological mom than to his adoptive mom. How should you interpret this data?

Accepted Answer

The fact that José's personality characteristics are more similar to his biological mom than to his adoptive mom suggests that personality is influenced by genes. This supports the idea that personality is at least partially inherited and not solely learned.

Question 11

As dizygotic twins, Jewel and Bjork

Accepted Answer

Dizygotic (fraternal) twins are the result of two separate eggs being fertilized by two separate sperm. As a result, they are not genetically identical and share only half of their genes on average, just like any other siblings. Therefore, option D is the correct answer. Options A and B are incorrect because they are characteristics of monozygotic (identical) twins, while option C is incorrect because even monozygotic twins may have some differences in their phenotypes due to environmental influences.

Question 12

Jack and Jill are twins. Because he is a boy, Jack's parents encourage him to run. However, they discourage Jill from engaging in athletic activity. As a result, Jack is much faster at running up a hill than Jill. The difference in Jack and Jill's behavior is best explained by

Accepted Answer

The difference in Jack and Jill's behavior is best explained by nonshared environmental influences, which refer to the environmental factors that are not shared between siblings and can lead to differences in their behaviors and personalities. In this case, the parents' differential treatment based on gender is a nonshared environmental influence that affects Jack and Jill differently.

Question 13

A heritability coefficient of _____ means about 50 percent of the difference between people on a specific characteristic is the result of heredity.

Accepted Answer

A heritability coefficient of .5 means that 50 percent of the difference between people on a specific characteristic is the result of heredity.

Question 14

If the four dominant alleles for intelligence are WXYZ and the recessive alleles for intelligence are wxyz, which of the following would be the most common inheritance pattern?

Accepted Answer

The inheritance pattern for intelligence would be polygenic inheritance, meaning that it is influenced by multiple genes. The given alleles WXYZ and wxyz may represent different genes or variations within the same gene. Therefore, a combination of different alleles is most likely to influence intelligence. 
Choice D, WwxxYYzZ, represents a combination of two dominant alleles (W and Y) and two recessive alleles (x and z), which is a realistic possibility for polygenic inheritance. 
Choice C, WWXXYYZZ, represents only dominant alleles, which is less likely to occur in a polygenic inheritance pattern. 
Choice A, WWwwYYyy, and Choice B, WWxXyYZZ, also do not represent a realistic combination of alleles in a polygenic inheritance pattern.

Question 15

If a physician informed you that your speech disorder was the result of problems on chromosomes 4, 7, and 15, you would rightly conclude that the disorder is always classifiable as

Accepted Answer

The involvement of multiple chromosomes (4, 7, and 15) in the speech disorder suggests that the condition is polygenetic, meaning it is influenced by several genes. Polygenetic inheritance involves the interaction of multiple genes to produce a trait or disorder, rather than being determined by a single gene.

Question 16

A heritability coefficient is a derivation of a(n)

Accepted Answer

The answer of A heritability coefficient is a derivation of...

Question 17

Genes and environments

Accepted Answer

Genes and environments interact dynamically throughout development, meaning that genetic and environmental factors not only influence each other, but also interact and shape development in complex and dynamic ways. This interplay continues throughout the lifespan and can ultimately shape an individual’s behavior, cognition, and health outcomes.

Question 18

_________ occurs when an individual intentionally seeks out an environment that matches characteristics driven by his or her genes.

Accepted Answer

Niche-picking is the term used to describe when an individual intentionally seeks out an environment that matches characteristics driven by his or her genes. This means that individuals actively select environments to suit their genetic predispositions.

Question 19

As a behavioral geneticist, Professor Klink is most likely to calculate the extent to which depression is inherited using a _____ coefficient.

Accepted Answer

Professor Klink is most likely interested in the degree to which depression is inherited, which can be measured by the heritability coefficient. This coefficient estimates the extent to which individual differences in a trait, such as depression, can be attributed to genetic factors. The other options - nonshared, DNA, and polygenetic - may be relevant to the study of genetics, but are not specifically related to measuring the heritability of a trait like depression.

Question 20

Despite being raised in two very different environments, identical twins Tina and Gina receive a similar score on a shyness scale. These results suggest that correlation between genetics and shyness is

Accepted Answer

The answer of Despite being raised in two very different...

Quiz 2: Biological Foundations: Heredity, Prenatal Development, and Birth