Deck 2: Bodies

Question 1

Dr.Sanchez has analyzed standardized test results for two countries and discovered that in Country 1 there are almost identical distributions of physics scores for male and female students,while in Country 2 male students performed better than female students.Which explanation best accounts for these differences in scores?

A)Country 1 is a more gender-equal society than Country 2.
B)Country 2 is a more gender-equal society than Country 1.
C)Physics ability is less likely than math to reflect real biological differences,so it's expected that there will be gender differences by country.
D)Physics ability is more likely than math to reflect real biological differences,so it's expected that there will be gender differences by country.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In Ethan Zell's analysis of over 21,000 measures of possible differences between men and women,he found that observed gender differences were most often

A)nonexistent.
B)large.
C)medium.
D)small.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Leo carries a gene for aggression,but he has never been violent.He was raised in a happy and peaceful household.Lydia,on the other hand,carries the same gene,but she has had several violent episodes in adolescence.She was raised in a physically abusive household.Which explanation best explains why Lydia has been violent but Leo has not?

A)the differences between men's genotype and women's genotype
B)the influence of environmental factors on our gene expression
C)the relationship between genotype and phenotype
D)the effect of the human genome on the environment

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Dr.Howard asks a group of men to identify themselves by their gender before giving them a test of heroism.What concept is Dr.Howard demonstrating?

A)learned differences
B)observed differences
C)priming
D)stereotyping

Question 5

Ellen believes that all gender differences are the product of our environments;we learn and are socialized into gender differences.Ellen believes in a __________ explanation of gender differences.

A)bioculturalist
B)culturalist
C)interactionist
D)naturalist

Question 6

Sumi is raising twins.One twin is genetically male and the other twin is genetically female.How different are their brains expected to be?

A)The genetically male twin is "left-brained," while the genetically female twin is "right-brained."
B)The genetically male twin is "right-brained," while the genetically female twin is "left-brained."
C)The genetically male twin's brain is most likely smaller than the genetically female twin's brain.
D)The genetically male twin's brain is most likely larger than the genetically female twin's brain.

Question 7

On which of the following traits do men and women exhibit the strongest sexual dimorphism?

A)vertical jumping ability
B)sexual identity and sexual object choice
C)throwing ability
D)visual-spatial abilities

Question 8

The gender gap in math performance varies within and across countries.The countries with the smallest difference between their male and female students are those with

A)the lowest rates of poverty.
B)the most successful education systems.
C)the greatest degree of overall gender equality.
D)the most highly developed economies.

Question 9

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between nature (human biology),nurture (socialization),and gender differences?

A)Nature and nurture shape sex differences in distinct and unrelated ways.
B)Social forces interfere with the expression of natural differences between men and women.
C)Nature and nurture are inseparable: They work together to produce observed sex differences.
D)Socialization shapes the human brain,but not human biology.

Question 10

According to research,testosterone is correlated with visual-spatial ability.Which individuals typically perform the best on visual-spatial tests?

A)high-testosterone men and high-testosterone women
B)low-testosterone men and low-testosterone women
C)high-testosterone men and low-testosterone women
D)low-testosterone men and high-testosterone women

Question 11

What types of hormones can be found in male-bodied and female-bodied individuals?

A)There are hormones that are specific to male-bodied or female-bodied individuals.Testosterone,for example,is only found in male-bodied individuals.
B)All human hormones circulate in male-bodied and female-bodied individuals.Some hormones do so in different proportions.
C)All human hormones circulate in male-bodied and female-bodied individuals.All hormones also circulate in exactly the same proportions in all bodies.
D)There are hormones that are specific to male-bodied or female-bodied individuals.Estrogen,for example,is only found in female-bodied individuals.

Question 12

What is meant by the idea that many biological characteristics are mutable?

A)They are responsive to external efforts to shift or disrupt them.
B)Biological sex differences evolve over many generations.
C)The primary biological characteristics that differentiate men and women have changed over time.
D)Biological sex differences have been found to have no scientific basis.

Question 13

Considering biological causes of gender differences more immutable than social ones is a mistake because

A)our hormones and our genes are designed to respond to culture.
B)gender differences have no relationship to biology.
C)the real causes of gender differences are entirely social.
D)there is a need to improve the scientific methods employed to date.

Question 14

Jack believes that all gender differences are biological and exist independently of our environments.Jack believes in a __________ explanation of gender differences.

A)bioculturalist
B)culturalist
C)interactionist
D)naturalist

Question 15

What is sexual dimorphism?

A)the shared behavioral and physical traits of males and females
B)a sexual preference for the opposite sex
C)the typical differences between males and females of a species
D)identifying as the opposite sex

Question 16

Researchers have observed differences in the visual-spatial abilities of men and women,such as in performing the task of mental rotation.What is the most plausible cause of such differences?

A)Cognitive skills are best explained by hormone levels,and men have higher levels of testosterone than women.
B)Cognitive skills correspond with the right side of the brain,and men and women tend to use different sides of their brains.
C)Cognitive skills are shaped by evolution,and through gender-specific practices,men's brains have evolved differently than women's brains.
D)Cognitive skills are affected by instruction and practice,and men are more likely than women to engage in activities that develop the skill of mental rotation.

Question 17

Andrew is genetically male,and he believes that his Y chromosome is the source of a large number of sex differences between his genetically female sister and himself.Is he correct?

A)No,because there are not actually any sex differences between genetically male and genetically female individuals.
B)No,because the Y chromosome only has a minimal impact on genetically male individuals.Research suggests it simply gives XY fetuses functioning testes and facilitates male fertility.
C)Yes,because the Y chromosome has a large impact on genetically male individuals.It not only gives XY fetuses functioning testes and facilitates male fertility,but it also explains why males are more susceptible to recessive traits than females.
D)Yes,because the Y chromosome is far larger than the X chromosome and has 10 times as much genetic material.

Question 18

What do we learn from comparing the degree of sexual dimorphism among humans to that of other species?

A)The human species is not sexually dimorphic.
B)Men and women are far more similar than they are different.
C)Men and women are just as sexually dimorphic as most other species.
D)The human species is highly sexually dimorphic.

Question 19

What is brain plasticity?

A)the different composition of men's and women's brains
B)the brain's lifelong ability to respond to its environment
C)the inherent strengths and weaknesses of men's and women's brains
D)the importance of environment over hormones in determining brain structure

Question 20

Imagine that you are conducting a test in which you wish to increase the empathy scores of male participants.Which of the following interventions would you choose?

A)encourage participants to try their very best because this test is one in which men typically perform poorly
B)have participants first write a fictional story in the first person
C)present statistics showing that women are attracted to sensitive men
D)conduct the experiment in the morning

Question 21

How has gender appeared to matter throughout human history?

A)Only recently have tasks and roles been gendered;historically there were no gendered tasks or roles.
B)Only recently have tasks and roles ceased to be gendered;historically there were both gendered tasks and roles.
C)Communities have typically gendered their tasks,and they mostly follow similar patterns in terms of how they gendered them.
D)Communities have typically gendered their tasks,but how they gender the tasks has varied over time and place.

Question 22

Michelle believes that humans have always held very different and distinct gender roles.Does human history support her view?

A)Yes,because the nuclear family,in which a mother and father have very distinct roles,has been the dominant family form throughout history.
B)Yes,because in forager societies,families only survived because men and women held very distinct roles.
C)No,because for much of humanity's existence,humans lived together in kin groups,in which men and women shared collective responsibilities and substituted for one another.
D)No,because the role of the father has always been a biological concept,and not a social concept.

Question 23

_____________ reminds us that gender is not an isolated social fact,but in fact affects,and is affected by,other facets of our identity.

A)Culturalism
B)Interactionism
C)Intersectionality
D)Naturalism

Question 24

Using an example of an observed sex difference,compare a naturalist and a culturalist explanation of the difference.What are the limitations of each perspective,and what is a stronger alternative explanation?

Question 25

Evaluate how sex is related to mathematical ability.Do you think there are sex differences in the ability to do math? Why or why not? Make sure to draw on at least two examples from the textbook in the development of your response.

Question 26

If you wanted to better understand men and women in society,which research question do you think is a better one to pursue: What are the differences between men and women? Or what are the similarities between men and women? In the course of your answer,make sure to draw on human evolution to help explain your viewpoint.

Question 27

Researchers have found that men who are active parents usually have lower levels of testosterone than men who do not participate in parenting.Which of the following claims does this support?

A)Behavior affects the body's production of hormones such as testosterone.
B)Men with higher levels of testosterone are less likely to desire to be parents.
C)Women are better suited to parenting because they have lower and less variable levels of testosterone than men.
D)Behaviors are produced by inborn variations in hormone levels.

Question 28

First,describe an animal species that has a high level of sexual dimorphism and an animal species that has a low level of sexual dimorphism.Then,evaluate where you think humans fit on the sexual dimorphism scale.Are they more similar to the species that has a high level of sexual dimorphism or the species that has a low level of sexual dimorphism? Make sure to explain your reasoning.

Question 29

Identical twins become genotypically different over time.How can this be explained?

A)Upbringing is more important than genes.
B)Their environment and experiences affect how their genes are expressed.
C)Identical twins are not actually 100 percent genetically identical.
D)It cannot be explained because the statement is false.

Question 30

Define what is meant by a learned difference and provide an example of a learned difference that can be observed in American society.Then,explain whether you think this learned difference is a real,observed sex difference.Make sure to provide detailed reasoning to justify your stance.

Question 31

Men's and women's marathon records have become both faster and closer together over time.This provides evidence for which of the following statements?

A)Only social factors determine sex differences.
B)The biology of men's and women's bodies are evolving in different ways.
C)The athletic ability of female bodies has been shaped to a large extent by social context.
D)Marathon records are a measure of the real physical differences between male and female bodies.