Deck 3: Biology and Behavior

Question 1

Which statement about heritability estimates is TRUE?

A) Heritability estimates suggest the existence of genes for particular behavioral patterns, such as divorce.
B) Heritability estimates can differ dramatically for groups of people in very different environments.
C) Heritability estimates are informative in determining the relative genetic and environmental contributions in the development of a particular individual.
D) Heritability estimates indicate the level of changeability of the trait.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Identical twins Ilyse and Lauren both have a gene for trait H. The gene for trait H is expressed only when a child eats rice before the age of 2. Ilyse and Lauren are separated at birth, and Ilyse lives in Japan, where babies begin eating rice at an early age. Lauren lives in the United States, and she is not given rice before the age of 2. Ilyse develops trait H, whereas Lauren does not develop the trait. This is an example of

A) polygenic inheritance.
B) genotype-environment interaction.
C) phenotypical variety.
D) the dominant-recessive pattern of inheritance.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which statement is TRUE?

A) Mutations aside, the structure of DNA remains fixed throughout one's life.
B) Epigenetic mechanisms can alter the expression of genes.
C) Changes in the expression of genes can be passed on to offspring.
D) Each gene is a segment of DNA that is the code for the production of particular proteins.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Gene expression can be suppressed by the process of

A) methylation.
B) mutation.
C) recession.
D) myelination.

Question 5

Behavior genetics rests in part on the premise that to the extent genetic factors are important, individuals who _____ should be more similar than are individuals who _____.

A) are closely related; are unrelated
B) are unrelated; are closely related
C) have lived together; have not lived together
D) have not lived together; have lived together

Question 6

Which statement does NOT describe a problem associated with the use of formula for infant feeding in underdeveloped countries?

A) The formula is often mixed with polluted water.
B) The formula does not contain antibodies against infections.
C) The formula is frequently diluted because of high cost.
D) Mothers in underdeveloped countries are more likely to use formula for infant feeding.

Question 7

_____ is a normal part of development, which is evident via _____.

A) Hyperconnectivity; synaptic pruning
B) Cell death; synaptic pruning
C) Hyperconnectivity; plasticity
D) Cell death; synesthesia

Question 8

Which design would be ideal for studying behavior genetics?

A) adoption study
B) family study
C) adoptive twin study
D) twin study

Question 9

A twin study is conducted to examine the role of genetics and environment on the fondness of individuals for chocolate. Which result would lead to the conclusion that genetic factors are important in the development of this trait?

A) Twins who have lived together are more similar on the trait than are twins who have lived apart.
B) Twins who have lived apart are more similar on the trait than are twins who have lived together.
C) Identical twins are more similar on the trait than are fraternal twins.
D) Fraternal twins are more similar on the trait than are identical twins.

Question 10

Which twins are LEAST similar in intelligence?

A) identical twins in childhood
B) identical twins in adulthood
C) fraternal twins in childhood
D) fraternal twins in adulthood

Question 11

Which statement about sex determination is TRUE?

A) The mother's egg always determines the sex of the offspring.
B) The father's sperm always determines the sex of the offspring.
C) Sometimes it is the mother's egg and sometimes it is the father's sperm that determines the sex of the offspring.
D) The mother's egg and the father's sperm jointly determine the sex of the offspring.

Question 12

Which is NOT an example of how associative learning can impact food choices of children?

A) children being more likely to select foods that have been marketed using popular cartoon characters
B) children refusing to eat foods they are unfamiliar with
C) children selecting fast-food choices due to the prizes or toys offered
D) children earing food items because they believe that other children like those food items

Question 13

Which factor is NOT associated with obesity?

A) social isolation
B) ethnicity
C) diabetes
D) adequate sleep

Question 14

A method of producing DNA is referred to as

A) gene sequencing.
B) genome.
C) gene synthesis.
D) genotype.

Question 15

An individual suffers brain damage to one small area of the brain. As a result, he struggles to process visual information. Which area has he MOST likely injured?

A) frontal lobe
B) corpus callosum
C) occipital lobe
D) parietal lobe

Question 16

Behavior genetics rests in part on the premise that to the extent environmental factors are important, individuals who _____ should be more similar than are individuals who _____.

A) are closely related; are unrelated
B) are unrelated; are closely related
C) have lived together; have not lived together
D) have not lived together; have lived together

Question 17

Which are used in attempts to link multiple DNA segments with particular traits?

A) genome-wide association studies
B) genome-wide complex trait analysis
C) heritability analysis
D) adoptive twin study

Question 18

Which statement about traits that involve polygenic inheritance is TRUE?

A) These traits are passed down from either the mother or the father directly to the offspring.
B) These traits are expressed only if an individual has a dominant gene.
C) Offspring have a one-in-four chance of possessing a trait if the parents possess it.
D) Many common human disorders are believed to result from interactions among multiple inherited genes, often in conjunction with environmental factors.

Question 19

Which item is NOT a source of variability in physical development among individuals?

A) genes
B) nutrition
C) chronic stress
D) body image

Question 20

Which sequence lists the CORRECT order of events in the development of a male?

A) Y chromosome encodes protein > production of testosterone > prenatal formation of testes
B) Y chromosome encodes protein > prenatal formation of testes > production of testosterone
C) prenatal formation of testes > Y chromosome encodes protein > production of testosterone
D) production of testosterone > Y chromosome encodes protein > prenatal formation of testes

Question 21

Which factor is NOT a component of experience-dependent plasticity?

A) more synapses per neuron
B) increased dendritic spines on cortical neurons
C) thicker cortex
D) sensitive periods

Question 22

Over the life span, the density of synapses in a particular cortical area

A) increases at a stable rate throughout life.
B) continues to increase sharply after birth and then remains stable throughout life.
C) decreases at a steady rate after birth.
D) continues to increase sharply after birth and shows some level of decrease with age.

Question 23

The cerebral cortex constitutes _____ of the human brain.

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 80%
D) 100%

Question 24

Jerome is 20 years old. He is now likely _____ times heavier and _____ times taller than he was at birth.

A) 5 to 7; 3
B) 10 to 12; 2
C) 15 to 20; 3
D) 10; 4

Question 25

_____ is an optical imaging technique that measures neural activity by detecting metabolic changes that lead to differential absorption of infrared light in brain tissue.

A) NIRS
B) ERP
C) MEG
D) fMRI

Question 26

The heritability score for athletic ability estimates the

A) relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors in the development of an individual's athletic ability.
B) amount of variation in athletic ability in an entire population that is due to differences in their genes.
C) level of genetic influence on an individual's athletic ability.
D) extent of influence of evolution on a population's athletic ability.

Question 27

Which factor(s) is/are a direct contributor to a child's phenotype?

A) the child's genotype and the parents' phenotypes
B) the child's environment
C) the parents' genotypes
D) the child's genotype and environment

Question 28

Psychological traits such as empathy, aggression, and shyness follow the _____ type of inheritance pattern.

A) dominant-recessive
B) X-linked
C) polygenic
D) heterozygous

Question 29

_____ can be done at any point in an individual's life span in order to diagnose a disease or find genetic clues that predict the likelihood of developing a disease.

A) Genetic testing
B) Newborn screening
C) Prenatal testing
D) Carrier genetic testing

Question 30

_____ detects magnetic fields generated by electrical currents in the brain.

A) EEG
B) ERP
C) MEG
D) fMRI

Question 31

A male zygote has the _____ pattern of sex chromosomes.

A) XX
B) XY
C) YY
D) XY or YY

Question 32

Intermediate phenotypes that do not involve overt behavior are called

A) endophenotypes.
B) regulator genes.
C) sex chromosomes.
D) alleles.

Question 33

An important finding of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart is the extent of the

A) similarity of the twins in a wide range of behavioral traits.
B) similarity of the twins in a wide range of physical traits.
C) differences between the twins on the vast majority of behavioral traits.
D) differences between the twins on many physical traits.

Question 34

Epigenetics is MOST relevant to which relationship?

A) child's environment
child's phenotype
B) child's phenotype
child's environment
C) child's genotype
child's phenotype
D) child's environment
child's genotype

Question 35

A change in a section of DNA that is the result of either a random, spontaneous error or environmental factors is referred to as

A) polygenic inheritance.
B) a dominant-recessive pattern.
C) random assortment.
D) a mutation.

Question 36

Synapse elimination generally occurs as a result of

A) brain damage.
B) nutritional deficiencies.
C) normal overabundance of synapses.
D) mental retardation.

Question 37

Results of a study that randomly assigned mother infant dyads either to an intervention encouraging breast-feeding or to a control condition without intervention indicated all EXCEPT

A) it is difficult to encourage mothers to breast-feed.
B) any relation between breast-feeding and cognitive development can be accounted for by social class.
C) only infants with a specific allele that regulates fatty acids show benefits from being breast-fed.
D) there is no well-established nutritional superiority of breast milk.

Question 38

Disease W is a recessive gene disease. Individuals with _____ will suffer from disease W.

A) one disease W gene and one healthy gene
B) two disease W genes
C) two healthy genes
D) two disease W genes and one healthy gene

Question 39

Which statement is an example of a secular trend?

A) African American children mature more quickly than do their European American peers.
B) Females generally reach puberty before their male peers do.
C) The average child growing up in North Korea is several inches shorter than is the average child growing up in North America.
D) Northern American adults are several inches taller than their same-sex great-grandparents were.

Question 40

Which type of prenatal testing uses fetal cells taken from the placenta to detect genetic anomalies?

A) preimplantation genetic diagnosis
B) noninvasive prenatal testing
C) aneuploidy
D) chorionic villus sampling

Question 41

Which was used in a research study to determine whether the effects of family SES on school achievement could be genetically mediated?

A) genome-wide association studies
B) genome-wide complex trait analysis
C) heritability analysis
D) adoptive twin study

Question 42

Which statement about genes is TRUE?

A) Genes that are turned off by regulator genes remain off for the remainder of the person's life.
B) Regulator genes function without input from the environment.
C) Genes belong to extensive networks of genes and do not function in isolation.
D) All of the statements are true.

Question 43

Which statement BEST characterizes current scientific thought on the human genome?

A) The greatest portion of the genome is made up of what is now considered "junk" DNA.
B) A small part of the genome is made up of protein-coding genes, and a much larger part regulates the activity of genes.
C) The genome is split about evenly between protein-coding genes and "junk" DNA.
D) The majority of the genome is made up of protein-coding genes, and a much smaller part is made up of noncoding DNA.

Question 44

Which statement about human mothers' milk is NOT true?

A) It contains beneficial bacteria.
B) It contains fatty acids that have a positive effect on IQ.
C) It contains the mother's antibodies.
D) It is nutritionally superior to formula.

Question 45

The two hemispheres of the brain communicate via the

A) interneurons.
B) corpus callosum.
C) glial cells.
D) association areas.

Question 46

Which list identifies the CORRECT sequence of the developmental processes of neurons?

A) neurogenesis > migration > axon growth > arborization > myelination
B) neurogenesis > axon growth > arborization > migration > myelination
C) neurogenesis > arborization > myelination > migration > axon growth
D) axon growth > arborization > myelination > neurogenesis > migration

Question 47

Regulator genes are responsible for

A) ensuring that all of the sperm's genetic material is inserted into the egg.
B) activating and deactivating other genes.
C) determining which genes go into which cell.
D) establishing an embryo's sex.

Question 48

An adoptive twin study is conducted to examine the role of genetics and environment on sociability. Which result would lead to a conclusion that environmental factors are important in the development of this trait?

A) Identical twins reared together are more similar on the trait than are identical twins reared apart.
B) Identical twins reared together are no more similar on the trait than are identical twins reared apart.
C) Identical twins reared together are less similar on the trait than are identical twins reared apart.
D) Identical twins reared apart are more similar on the trait than are fraternal twins reared apart.

Question 49

Genetic testing during in vitro fertilization in which the fertilized eggs are tested for a specific genetic disorder is referred to as

A) preimplantation genetic diagnosis.
B) noninvasive prenatal testing.
C) aneuploidy.
D) chorionic villus sampling.

Question 50

Which is a disorder that causes a severe birth defect that culminates in death by the age of 5 years?

A) Down syndrome
B) Edwards syndrome
C) Tay Sachs
D) Patau syndrome

Question 51

Juan and Kaya would like to have a baby. They are getting tested to determine if either of them is a carrier of a recessive gene for sickle-cell disease. What is the likelihood that their child would develop the disease if both parents are carriers?

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 35%
D) 75%

Question 52

_____ use a powerful electromagnet to detect fluctuations in cerebral blood flow in different areas of the brain.

A) EEG
B) ERP
C) MEG
D) fMRI

Question 53

Down syndrome originates from

A) chromosomal anomalies.
B) polygenic inheritance.
C) dominant-recessive patterns.
D) gene anomalies.

Question 54

Imagine that researchers estimated the heritability score for trait W to be 45%. Which statement is a CORRECT interpretation of this estimate?

A) Differences between African Americans and European Americans on trait W are 45% due to differences in their genetic makeup.
B) Jane Doe's level of trait W is 45% due to her genes.
C) The amount of variation in trait W in an entire population is 45% due to genetic factors.
D) All of these statements are correct interpretations of the estimate.

Question 55

Deaf individuals' responses to peripheral visual stimuli are evidence of

A) a sensitive period.
B) experience-dependent plasticity.
C) experience-expectant plasticity.
D) myelination.

Question 56

The gene that codes for characteristic X has two alleles. Allele D is dominant, and allele r is recessive. If the father is homozygous for trait X with allele r and the mother is heterozygous for trait X, the chance that one of their offspring will exhibit form r for trait X is _____.

A) 0%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 75%

Question 57

Children share _____ of their genetic material with each of their grandparents.

A) one-half
B) one-third
C) one-quarter
D) one-eighth

Question 58

Jacquelynne is 6 months pregnant and is having blood drawn for genetic testing of her baby. What type of testing is this?

A) prenatal screening test
B) PKU testing
C) newborn screening
D) pharmacogenomics testing

Question 59

Experience-_____ plasticity allows an individual's personal experiences to shape brain development.

A) dependent
B) independent
C) expectant
D) protected

Question 60

Imagine that researchers estimated the heritability score for trait T to be 75%. Which statement is a CORRECT interpretation of this estimate?

A) There is little individuals can do to improve their level of trait T.
B) John Smith's level of trait T is 75% due to his genes.
C) Differences between males and females on trait T are 75% due to differences in the genetic makeup of males and females.
D) This heritability estimate tells us nothing about the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors for the development of trait T in an individual.

Question 61

Which effect(s) is/are an example of the relationship between the child's phenotype and the child's environment? Effect A: effect of the environment created by the child's parents on the child's behavior. Effect B: effect of the child's interests on the environment the child seeks out. Effect C: effect of the child's behavior on the parents' responses to the child.

A) both effects A and B
B) both effects A and C
C) both effects B and C
D) effects A, B, and C

Question 62

Which individual has an increased likelihood of carrying the recessive gene for Tay Sachs?

A) Maria, who is from the Caribbean
B) Mark, who is African American
C) Samantha, who is Latino
D) Jacob, who is of Eastern European Jewish descent

Question 63

Which statement about the cerebral cortex is NOT true?

A) The function of the cerebral cortex is essentially identical across a wide variety of animal species.
B) The lobes of the cerebral cortex differ in the general tasks with which they are associated.
C) The size of the cerebral cortex is unrelated to its function.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 64

Which statement about autism spectrum disorder is TRUE?

A) It is likely that autism spectrum disorder is caused by the MMR vaccine.
B) It is clear that the cause of autism spectrum disorder is solely genetic.
C) Of all 8-year-old children in the United States, approximately 1 in 1500 have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
D) Autism spectrum disorder is known to be highly heritable.

Question 65

The different rates of synapse production in different areas of the brain indicate the

A) incapability of the brain to develop simultaneously in multiple areas.
B) differences in the timing of development of different skills and behavioral categories.
C) different rates of synapse elimination.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 66

Information from multiple sensory systems is processed and integrated in the

A) frontal lobe.
B) corpus callosum.
C) glial cells.
D) association areas.

Question 67

Which lobe of the cerebral cortex is MOST important for foresight and goal-directed behavior?

A) temporal
B) parietal
C) frontal
D) occipital

Question 68

For twins who grow up together, the degree of similarity of the environment is assumed to be equal. This is known as the

A) equal environments assumption.
B) heritability assumption.
C) population heritability hypothesis.
D) genome-wide association.

Question 69

Which behavior genetics research result provides the BEST evidence of the importance of environmental factors in the development of a particular trait?

A) An adoption study shows that the correlation between adoptive children and their adoptive parents is higher than is the correlation between the children and their biological parents.
B) An adoptive twin study shows that the correlation between identical twins who grew up together is higher than is the correlation between identical twins who grew up apart.
C) A twin study shows that the correlation between identical twins is higher than is the correlation between same-sex fraternal twins.
D) A family study shows that the correlation between siblings reared together is higher than is the correlation between siblings reared apart.

Question 70

The weight of adopted children is

A) more strongly related to the weight of their adoptive parents than to the weight of their biological parents.
B) more strongly related to the weight of their biological parents than to the weight of their adoptive parents.
C) unrelated to either the weight of their biological parents or the weight of their adoptive parents.
D) equally related to the weight of their biological and adoptive parents.

Question 71

Pamela and her mother both have a strong aversion to cheese. Consider these paths. Path A: Pamela genetically inherited "cheese aversion" from her mother. Path B: Pamela's mother's own genetically inherited "cheese aversion" led her to create a "cheese aversion" environment in which Pamela developed. Path C: Pamela's mother's aversion to cheese caused Pamela's genotype to change. Which path(s) could have caused this similarity between Pamela and her mother in their strong aversion to cheese?

A) both paths A and B
B) both paths A and C
C) both paths B and C
D) path B only

Question 72

In regard to the pattern of synaptogenesis in the prefrontal cortex and the visual cortex, synaptogenesis

A) occurs at approximately the same rate in these two areas across the life span.
B) occurs earlier in the prefrontal cortex than in the visual cortex.
C) is complete earlier in the visual cortex than in the prefrontal cortex.
D) occurs at a faster rate in the prefrontal cortex than in the visual cortex.

Question 73

A recessive gene governs trait M. If a child exhibits trait M, then _____ trait M.

A) both her parents must have also exhibited
B) both her parents must have the recessive gene for
C) one of her parents has the gene for
D) the child has to have a dominant gene for

Question 74

It is currently estimated that humans have about _____ genes.

A) 20,000
B) 35,000
C) 100,000
D) 275,000

Question 75

Which infant is at an increased risk for delayed or slowed brain growth?

A) Gerardo, who is Latino and whose parents are middle-class
B) Bree, who is Caucasian and whose parents are of high SES
C) Ami, who is Asian and whose parents are middle-class
D) Juan, who is Latino and whose parents are of low SES

Question 76

_____ is a variant of the MRI that uses the rate of water diffusion to model 3-D spatial location in order to study how brain networks develop.

A) EEG
B) ERP
C) DTI
D) fMRI

Question 77

_____ lead(s) to extremely high rates of fetal and infant mortality.

A) Edwards syndrome
B) Patau syndrome
C) Both Edwards syndrome and Patau syndrome
D) Neither Edwards syndrome nor Patau syndrome

Question 78

Which factor does NOT contribute to obesity?

A) activity level
B) TV-viewing habits
C) speed of eating
D) healthy nutrition

Question 79

Shared-environment influences have been demonstrated for

A) schizophrenia.
B) positive emotions in toddlers.
C) personality.
D) all of these.

Question 80

A child's genotype is directly related to

A) the parents' genotypes.
B) the parents' phenotypes.
C) the child's phenotype.
D) all of these factors.