Question 1

Compared with fraternal twins,identical twins have been found to be ________ similar in neuroticism,and ________ similar in extraversion.

Accepted Answer

Identical twins share more genetic material than fraternal twins, leading to higher similarities in both neuroticism and extraversion.

Question 2

Jason and Alex are biologically unrelated adolescents who were adopted as infants and raised together.For which of the following are Jason and Alex LEAST likely to resemble each other any more than they resemble a genetically unrelated adolescent from another home in their neighborhood?

Accepted Answer

Extraversion is a trait that is significantly influenced by genetics. Since Jason and Alex are biologically unrelated and were adopted, their levels of extraversion are more likely to be influenced by their genetic backgrounds rather than their shared environment, making them least likely to resemble each other in this aspect compared to learned behaviors or attitudes such as religious beliefs, table manners, or political attitudes, which can be heavily influenced by the environment and upbringing.

Question 3

Environmental influences on personality traits are most clearly highlighted by comparing

Accepted Answer

Comparing identical twins raised together with those raised apart highlights the environmental influences on personality traits because both sets of twins have the same genetic makeup. Differences in their personalities can thus be attributed to the different environments in which they were raised.

Question 4

While you develop callused feet when you go barefoot for a summer,your neighbor remains a tenderfoot by protecting her feet with shoes.The differences in skin toughness between you and your neighbor are best attributed to

Accepted Answer

The development of calluses on the feet is a result of the interaction between genetic factors (such as the natural thickness of skin) and environmental factors (such as going barefoot). This suggests that both genetic and environmental influences play a role in determining skin toughness. Therefore, choice D, which highlights the interaction between genetic and environmental influences, is the best explanation. Choices A and B suggest that individual genetic differences alone account for skin toughness, while choice C focuses solely on epigenetic marks, which is not the most accurate explanation.

Question 5

The unique genetically influenced traits of children often evoke predictable responses from their caregivers.This best illustrates the ______ of nature and nurture.

Accepted Answer

The concept of interaction between nature and nurture refers to the idea that both genetics (nature) and environmental experiences (nurture) contribute to the development of an individual's traits and behaviors. In this scenario, the genetically influenced traits of the child are interacting with the responses of their caregivers, which is a clear example of nature and nurture interacting. Heritability and epigenetics are related concepts but not the best fit for this scenario. Independence is not relevant to this concept.

Question 6

Compared with fraternal twins,identical twins are ________ similar in physical appearance.Compared with unrelated look-alike pairs of individuals,identical twins report ________ similar personalities.

Accepted Answer

Identical twins are almost identical in physical appearance because they come from the same fertilized egg that splits into two embryos. Also, identical twins are more similar in personalities because they share the same DNA. On the other hand, fraternal twins come from two different eggs fertilized by two different sperm, and they are no more similar in physical appearance than any other siblings. Similarly, unrelated look-alike pairs of individuals can have similarities in physical appearance but are no more likely to have similar personalities than any other unrelated individuals.

Question 7

Twin studies suggest that the risk of having autism spectrum disorder is influenced by

Accepted Answer

Twin studies have shown that there is a higher concordance rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in identical twins compared to fraternal twins, indicating a hereditary component to the disorder.

Question 8

Who are likely to show the greatest similarity in personality?

Accepted Answer

Identical twins such as Ruth and Ramona share nearly identical genetic makeup, which can lead to very similar personality traits. Fraternal twins, siblings, and parent-child relationships still have genetic overlap but it is not as strong as with identical twins.

Question 9

Macaque monkeys have been found to have personalities that resemble their biological mother,rather than their foster mother.This demonstrates that

Accepted Answer

The finding that macaque monkeys' personalities resemble their biological mothers suggests that heredity, rather than nurture or environment, plays a significant role in shaping personality. This is because the monkeys were raised by foster mothers who were not genetically related to them, yet their personalities were more similar to their biological mothers.

Question 10

Identical twins have been shown to have some amazing psychological similarities.But we should be cautious about attributing these similarities to shared genes because

Accepted Answer

The answer of Identical twins have been shown to have...

Question 11

People have always responded so positively to Alyssa's good looks that she has developed a socially confident and outgoing personality.This best illustrates the interaction of

Accepted Answer

The interaction of Alyssa's physical appearance (nature) and the positive responses she receives from others (nurture) has influenced the development of her sociable personality. This demonstrates the interplay between nature and nurture in shaping human behavior.

Question 12

The home environment most clearly has a greater influence on children's ________ than on their ________.

Accepted Answer

The home environment has a greater influence on children's religious beliefs, which are often directly taught or modeled by family members, than on their personality traits, which are influenced by a broader range of factors including genetics and experiences outside the home.

Question 13

Differences between men and women in personality traits that are highly heritable cannot necessarily be attributed to genetic differences between the two groups because

Accepted Answer

This is because heritability of a trait refers to the proportion of variability in the trait within a given population that can be attributed to genetic factors, but environmental factors can also influence the expression and development of these traits. Therefore, the differences between men and women in highly heritable personality traits may not solely be due to genetic differences but could also be influenced by different environmental factors experienced by males and females.

Question 14

The personalities of adopted children

Accepted Answer

Research in psychology suggests that the personalities of adopted children are more influenced by their genetic makeup than by the environment provided by their adoptive parents. This means that adopted children's personalities are not very similar to those of their adoptive parents, highlighting the role of genetics over the environment in personality development.

Question 15

Juan and Alonzo are fraternal twin brothers,whereas Jake and Alex are identical twin brothers.The similarities between Jake and Alex with respect to ________ are likely to be greater than the similarities between Juan and Alonzo.

Accepted Answer

Identical twins share 100% of their genes, leading to greater similarities in personality traits like extraversion and neuroticism, as well as physical appearance, compared to fraternal twins who share about 50% of their genes.

Question 16

Children in adoptive homes are ________ likely than average to experience parental neglect and abuse.They have typically grown up to be ________ altruistic than average.

Accepted Answer

Children in adoptive homes are generally less likely to experience parental neglect and abuse because adoptive parents go through a rigorous selection process. Additionally, these children have often been found to grow up to be more altruistic than average, possibly due to their own experiences and the care they received from their adoptive families.

Question 17

The study of influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change is called

Accepted Answer

The study of influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change is called epigenetics. Genomics is the study of an organism's entire genome, behavior genetics is the study of how genetics and environment interact to influence behavior, and evolutionary psychology is the study of how evolution has shaped the human mind and behavior.

Question 18

An African butterfly that is green in the summer turns brown in the fall thanks to a temperature-controlled genetic switch.This best illustrates that genes are

Accepted Answer

The fact that the African butterfly's gene can switch between producing green pigment in the summer and brown pigment in the fall based on temperature demonstrates that the gene is self-regulating.

Answer: C 
 Epigenetic marks refer to modifications to DNA that can influence gene expression without changing the underlying genetic sequence. While the African butterfly's color change is not specifically due to epigenetic marks, it is an example of an environmental trigger (temperature) affecting gene expression, which is similar to the way epigenetic marks can influence gene expression.

Therefore, both B and C are acceptable answers.

Question 19

When the effect of one factor depends on the presence of another factor,outcomes are said to reflect

Accepted Answer

When the effect of one factor depends on the presence of another factor, it is known as an interaction. For example, the effect of a certain medication may vary depending on the dosage and the patient's age. Here, the effect of dosage and age is an interaction - the effect of one factor (dosage) depends on the presence of another factor (age).

Question 20

An organic methyl molecule attached to part of a DNA strand has been identified as a(n)

Accepted Answer

An organic methyl molecule attached to part of a DNA strand is an example of an epigenetic mark. Epigenetic marks are changes to the DNA molecule that do not involve changes to the underlying genetic code, but which can still have significant effects on gene expression and cellular function. Methylation is a common epigenetic modification that involves the addition of a methyl group to one of the nucleotide bases in DNA, usually cytosine. Methylation can affect gene expression by altering the structure of the DNA molecule and making certain genes more or less accessible to the cellular machinery responsible for reading and transcribing genetic information.

Quiz 2: The Biology of Behavior

Compared with fraternal twins,identical twins have been found to be similar in neuroticism,and similar in extraversion.