Deck 5: Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity

Question 1

Our genetic predispositions help to explain

A) our shared human nature but not our human diversity.
B) our human diversity but not our shared human nature.
C) neither our shared human nature nor our human diversity.
D) both our shared human nature and our human diversity.

Answer 1

both our shared human nature and our human diversity.

Question 2

For every three sets of identical twins,one pair is likely to have

A) two different genomes.
B) two separate placentas.
C) an extra set of chromosomes.
D) only one sex chromosome.

Answer 2

two separate placentas.

Question 3

Fraternal twins originate from the fertilization of

A) a single egg cell by a single sperm cell.
B) two egg cells by a single sperm cell.
C) a single egg cell by two sperm cells.
D) two egg cells by two sperm cells.

Answer 3

two egg cells by two sperm cells.

Question 4

The complete set of genetic instructions in an organism's chromosomes is called the

A) heritability index.
B) DNA molecule.
C) genome.
D) epigenetic mark.

Question 5

Genes provide the code for the production of

A) shared family environments.
B) proteins.
C) heritability estimates.
D) genomes.

Question 6

Compared with identical twins,fraternal twins are

A) more likely to be the same sex and more likely to be similar in extraversion.
B) more likely to be the same sex and less likely to be similar in extraversion.
C) less likely to be the same sex and less likely to be similar in extraversion.
D) less likely to be the same sex and equally likely to be similar in extraversion.

Question 7

External influences on development such as social support are said to constitute our

A) genome.
B) epigenetic marks.
C) environment.
D) temperament.

Question 8

Behavior geneticists are most interested in assessing the extent to which heredity and environment contribute to our

A) shared human genome.
B) epigenetic marks.
C) reproductive capacities.
D) individual differences.

Question 9

As members of the human family,we all share a common

A) temperament.
B) epigenetic mark.
C) biological heritage.
D) cultural background.

Question 10

Twin brothers or twin sisters who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two are called ________ twins.

A) fraternal
B) identical
C) epigenetic
D) dizygotic

Question 11

A gene is a small segment of a(n)

A) synapse.
B) neurotransmitter.
C) DNA molecule.
D) epigenetic mark.

Question 12

Matt becomes emotionally upset frequently and quickly.Matt's reactions most clearly illustrate

A) extraversion.
B) neuroticism.
C) an epigenetic mark.
D) high serotonin levels.

Question 13

The threadlike structures that contain genes are called

A) organic methyl molecules.
B) epigenetic marks.
C) chromosomes.
D) genomes.

Question 14

Assessing the relative effects of nature and nurture on individual differences in personality would be of most direct interest to

A) evolutionary psychologists.
B) molecular geneticists.
C) behavior geneticists.
D) Freudian psychologists.

Question 15

Unlike fraternal twins,identical twins are described as

A) extraverted.
B) dizygotic.
C) epigenetic.
D) monozygotic.

Question 16

The nucleus of each cell of your body contains

A) DNA molecules.
B) chromosomes.
C) genes.
D) all of these elements.

Question 17

Twin studies most clearly indicate that ________ exert(s)a strong influence on the development of our unique personality traits.

A) prenatal genetic testing
B) shared family environments
C) free-floating stress hormones
D) person-to-person genetic variations

Question 18

Chromosomes are located within human

A) bone cells.
B) genes.
C) neurotransmitters.
D) DNA.

Question 19

People's reactions to our genetically influenced traits constitute part of our

A) temperament.
B) environment.
C) genome.
D) heritability.

Question 20

The impact of a mother's healthy food consumption on the prenatal development of her offspring best illustrates

A) heritability.
B) a reactive temperament.
C) environmental influence.
D) an epigenetic mark.

Question 21

Adopted children grow up to be

A) more self-giving than average.
B) less psychologically disordered than average.
C) more extraverted than average.
D) less confused about their identity than average.

Question 22

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

A) epigenetic marks.
B) trait heritability.
C) reproductive capacity.
D) brain injuries.

Question 23

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

A) heritability
B) temperament
C) reactivity
D) interaction

Question 24

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

A) low and variable.
B) high and variable.
C) low and invariable.
D) high and invariable.

Question 25

Our characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity is known as our

A) heritability.
B) genome.
C) temperament.
D) epigenetic mark.

Question 26

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

A) identical twins raised together;identical twins raised apart
B) fraternal twins raised together;identical twins raised apart
C) identical twins raised together;fraternal twins raised together
D) fraternal twins raised apart;identical twins raised together

Question 27

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

A) gender
B) epigenetic marks
C) shared family environments
D) genetic influences

Question 28

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

A) heritability estimates.
B) neurotransmitter molecules.
C) chromosome segments.
D) free-floating stress hormones.

Question 29

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

A) temperament.
B) adaptive capacity.
C) epigenetic marks.
D) shared family environments.

Question 30

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

A) more;more
B) less;less
C) more;less
D) less;more

Question 31

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

A) adaptive capacity.
B) epigenetic marks.
C) temperament.
D) physical health.

Question 32

The heritability of a specific trait will be lowest among

A) genetically similar individuals who have been raised in similar environments.
B) genetically similar individuals who have been raised in dissimilar environments.
C) genetically dissimilar individuals who have been raised in similar environments.
D) genetically dissimilar individuals who have been raised in dissimilar environments.

Question 33

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

A) political attitudes
B) genome
C) extraversion
D) temperament

Question 34

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

A) temperaments.
B) heritability estimates.
C) epigenetic marks.
D) shared family environments.

Question 35

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

A) moral values.
B) temperament.
C) epigenetic molecules.
D) adaptive capacity.

Question 36

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

A) epigenetic marks.
B) religious beliefs.
C) temperaments.
D) political views.

Question 37

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

A) genetics.
B) nutrition.
C) temperament.
D) epigenetic molecules.

Question 38

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

A) our shared human nature.
B) the persistence of temperament.
C) Freudian psychology.
D) the shared family environment.

Question 39

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

A) molecular geneticist.
B) evolutionary psychologist.
C) behavior geneticist.
D) Freudian psychologist.

Question 40

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

A) home environments have less impact on personality than does peer pressure.
B) similar appearances often evoke similar responses from others.
C) infant temperaments have a strong impact on personality development.
D) adopted children's personalities are highly similar to those of their adoptive parents.

Question 41

Evolutionary psychologists are most likely to suggest that "a universal moral grammar" arises from our shared human

A) genome.
B) social scripts.
C) food shortages.
D) taste preferences.

Question 42

Prenatal genetic testing enabled Kelly and Mark to prepare effectively for the future educational needs of their unborn child,who is genetically vulnerable to developing specific learning disorder.The parents' experience illustrates one of the benefits linked most closely to the development of

A) epigenetic marks.
B) heritability estimates.
C) evolutionary psychology.
D) molecular genetics.

Question 43

If a genetic predisposition to fear darkness contributes to reproductive success,that trait will likely be passed on to subsequent generations.This best illustrates

A) a sexual overperception bias.
B) a mutation.
C) social learning theory.
D) natural selection.

Question 44

The principles of evolutionary psychology would suggest that parents are genetically predisposed to experience the strongest grief over the deaths of their

A) infant sons.
B) infant daughters.
C) adolescent sons.
D) adolescent daughters.

Question 45

To produce sheepdogs that become very adept at sheepherding,dog breeders have been most likely to make use of

A) gene splicing.
B) a sexual overperception bias.
C) selective mating.
D) epigenetic marks.

Question 46

Evolutionary psychologists most clearly emphasize that environmentally adaptive behaviors are those that have promoted

A) reproductive success.
B) personal happiness.
C) cultural diversity.
D) social scripts.

Question 47

Evolutionary psychology would be most helpful for understanding the ________ human aggression.

A) social causes of
B) reproductive advantages of
C) cross-cultural variations of
D) remedial treatments of

Question 48

Locating some of the many genes that together with particular life experiences orchestrate complex traits such as impulsiveness is one of the major goals of

A) epigenetics.
B) evolutionary psychology.
C) molecular behavior genetics.
D) prenatal genetic testing.

Question 49

The impact of genes on observable traits can vary in different environments.Thus,genes are said to be

A) free-floating.
B) dizygotic.
C) self-regulating.
D) epigenetic.

Question 50

Evolutionary psychologists are most directly concerned with the impact of ________ on behavior.

A) social scripts
B) a sexual overperception bias
C) genetic predispositions
D) domestication

Question 51

Epigenetics is the study of environmental influences on ________ that occur without a DNA change.

A) temperament
B) heritability
C) gene expression
D) stress hormones

Question 52

Diet and stress can affect the ________ that regulate gene expression.

A) neurotransmitters
B) temperaments
C) epigenetic molecules
D) heritability estimates

Question 53

The study of how our behavior and mind have changed in adaptive ways over time due to natural selection is called

A) social learning theory.
B) evolutionary psychology.
C) cross-cultural psychology.
D) genome research.

Question 54

Professor Olstrum's research involves assessing the interactive impact of particular DNA segments and stressful life experiences on the development of bipolar disorder.His work best illustrates the specialty area known as

A) heritability studies.
B) Freudian psychology.
C) evolutionary psychology.
D) molecular behavior genetics.

Question 55

Evolutionary psychology would be most likely to suggest that human preferences for sweets and fats in fast-food outlets

A) illustrate a universal moral grammar.
B) are genetically predisposed.
C) vary widely between males and females.
D) are triggered by a sexual overperception bias.

Question 56

Charles Darwin advanced the principle of

A) universal moral grammar.
B) social scripts.
C) sexual overperception bias.
D) natural selection.

Question 57

Selecting embryos that are most closely linked to the future development of highly valued personality traits such as cheerfulness or friendliness is a possibility most closely linked with the development of

A) epigenetics.
B) evolutionary psychology.
C) prenatal genetic testing.
D) self-regulating genes.

Question 58

Which of the following would likely prevent DNA from producing the proteins coded by a gene?

A) epigenetic molecules
B) neurotransmitters
C) the human genome
D) sex chromosomes

Question 59

Mutations result from random errors in

A) brain development.
B) gene replication.
C) natural selection.
D) neural transmission.

Question 60

Early women who were genetically predisposed to avoid bitter-tasting foods,especially when experiencing nausea during pregnancy,were most likely to survive and contribute their genetically based predispositions to later generations.This best illustrates

A) a social script.
B) natural selection.
C) male-female differences in mating preferences.
D) a sexual overperception bias.

Question 61

Our selective exposure to those life experiences that are best suited to our unique inborn traits best illustrates the interaction of

A) DNA and proteins.
B) nature and nurture.
C) extraversion and agreeableness.
D) genes and chromosomes.

Question 62

Gay male couples report having sex ________ often than do lesbian couples;in Vermont and Massachusetts,men were ________ likely than women to secure same-sex legal partnerships when these first became available.

A) more;less
B) less;more
C) more;more
D) less;less

Question 63

Research on brain development suggests that repeated learning experiences seem to

A) strengthen neural connections at the location that processes the experiences.
B) reduce the number of brain cells needed to effectively process information.
C) promote the formation of the brainstem but have no effect on the formation of the cortex.
D) have no effect on the structure of neural tissue.

Question 64

Most of the movies Jared watches involve uncommitted sex between acquaintances.He now tends to engage in "sex just for the fun of it-without commitment." His behavior would best be attributed to the fact that the movies provided him with a memorable

A) social script.
B) shared human genome.
C) universal moral grammar.
D) theory of behavior genetics.

Question 65

Unused neural connections in the brain are reduced through a process of

A) spermarche.
B) gender typing.
C) collectivism.
D) pruning.

Question 66

George and Sally,both in their 20s,have an exclusive sexual relationship.Research suggests that ________ is the one who is most likely to initiate more sexual activity and that ________ is the one who is most likely to think more about sex.

A) George;Sally
B) Sally;George
C) George;George
D) Sally;Sally

Question 67

Compared with women,men are more likely to

A) report low levels of marital satisfaction.
B) smile at members of the opposite sex.
C) misperceive simple friendliness as a sexual come-on.
D) attribute their first sexual intercourse to feelings of affection.

Question 68

Carlos was born with cataracts in both eyes,which were removed when he was 5.However,because Carlos lacked visual experiences during early childhood,he most likely

A) lost neural connections in the areas of the brain assigned to vision.
B) was unable to develop normal emotional reactions to sad or depressing situations.
C) could not form schemas to help him make sense of his experiences.
D) showed signs of androgyny.

Question 69

It has been suggested that older men in all cultures tend to marry women younger than themselves because men are genetically predisposed to seek female features associated with youthful fertility.This suggestion best illustrates

A) social learning theory.
B) behavior genetics.
C) Freudian psychology.
D) an evolutionary perspective.

Question 70

Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to predict that 40-year-old single men will seek to marry women who are ________ than they are.

A) less physically attractive
B) more sexually experienced
C) younger
D) more aggressive toward sexual rivals

Question 71

Ginger wants to marry someone who will provide financial security for her children to-be.Evolutionary psychologists would most likely attribute Ginger's motivation to

A) a sexual overperception bias.
B) a genetic predisposition.
C) social scripts.
D) fear of infertility.

Question 72

Professor Archibald suggests that men are more likely than women to initiate casual sex because this has historically served to be a more successful reproductive strategy for men than for women.The professor's suggestion best illustrates

A) social learning theory.
B) an evolutionary perspective.
C) moral grammar.
D) Freudian theory.

Question 73

Evolutionary psychologists are most likely to be criticized for

A) working backward to provide after-the-fact explanations of human mating preferences.
B) overemphasizing humans' capacity to learn and adapt to a variety of environments.
C) underestimating gender differences in mate selection.
D) overestimating cultural differences in human sexual behaviors.

Question 74

Suppose that men leave their wives to marry other women more frequently than wives leave their husbands to marry other men.Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to explain this in terms of sex differences in

A) social scripts.
B) reproductive capacity.
C) income level.
D) body size.

Question 75

Critics of evolutionary psychology would be most likely to suggest that it has difficulty accounting for

A) differences in the behavior patterns of males and females.
B) similarities in the behavior patterns of males and females.
C) differences in the behavior patterns of Asians and Americans.
D) similarities in the behavior patterns of Asians and Americans.

Question 76

Rosenzweig and Krech observed that rats in an enriched environment developed more ________ than did rats in an impoverished environment.

A) secondary sex characteristics
B) cerebral cortex
C) Y chromosomes
D) gender schemas

Question 77

Because Marla is the first girl in her fourth-grade class to sexually mature,she is sometimes teased and rejected by her classmates.Marla's sense of social isolation and embarrassment result from the interaction of

A) X and Y chromosomes.
B) nature and nurture.
C) gender schemas and gender identity.
D) individualism and collectivism.

Question 78

A stimulating environment is most likely to facilitate the development of a child's

A) individualism.
B) sex chromosomes.
C) collectivism.
D) neural connections.

Question 79

Which approach is most likely to attribute gender differences in mating preferences to the impact of watching and imitating readily available social scripts?

A) evolutionary psychology
B) social learning theory
C) behavior genetics
D) Freudian psychology

Question 80

Heterosexual women are most attracted to tall men with slim waists and broad shoulders.Evolutionary psychology most clearly attributes this preference to the fact that these physical characteristics are associated with

A) a universal moral grammar.
B) a sexual overperception bias.
C) reproductive success.
D) genetic mutations.