Question 1

One of the most important conclusions to be drawn with regard to the relative roles of heredity and environment is that ____.

Accepted Answer

Heredity and environment are so closely intertwined that it is difficult to separate their relative roles in shaping individual characteristics and behaviors. Both factors interact and influence each other, making it impossible to attribute a specific percentage of influence to each factor.

Question 2

During a thesis meeting,Dr.Volde suggests that Anwen consider using inferential statistics in her upcoming research project.After the meeting,Anwen meets her friend Jack and confesses that she doesn't know what Dr.Volde is talking about.Jack explains that inferential statistics ____.

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics are a set of mathematical procedures used to draw conclusions about a population based on a sample of data from that population. It involves using probability theory and hypothesis testing to make inferences about the larger population. Thus, option B is the correct answer. Option A refers to descriptive statistics, option C is not always the case, and option D is incorrect as inferential statistics can be statistically significant.

Question 3

A researcher wants to know if intelligence is based more prominently on factors of family environment or on heredity.Her research focuses on identical twins who are raised together in the same home and those who were separated at birth and raised in different homes by different parents.According to the textbook,this researcher is conducting a(n)____ study.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A researcher wants to know if intelligence...

Question 4

Dr.Essen wants to conduct a study on eating habits.He suspects that there are both environmental and genetic influences that affect a person's eating behavior.To study this behavioral genetics topic,Dr.Essen will likely conduct a ____ study.

Accepted Answer

A family study would allow Dr. Essen to evaluate both environmental and genetic influences on eating behavior by comparing the eating habits of family members who share both genetic and environmental factors. A marriage study would only focus on the individuals' married status and not consider genetic factors. A double-blind study would not be applicable in this behavioral genetics topic. Randomizing refers to the process of assigning participants to different groups in a study, and is not a type of study design.

Question 5

Some people believe that a person is born intelligent (or not)and education does little to affect this.This is an example of the ____ argument.

Accepted Answer

The argument presented suggests that a person's intelligence is primarily determined by their genetics or biology, which aligns with the view of nature being the dominant factor in shaping a person's traits and characteristics.

Question 6

Observational methods,case studies,surveys,correlational studies,and experiments generate mountains of numbers-known as data-that represent research results and provide the basis for drawing conclusions about them.

Accepted Answer

The sentence clearly refers to "numbers known as data" that are generated through different research methods. Therefore, the correct choice is C, which refers to the collected information. Descriptive statistics (choice A) refer to techniques used to summarize and describe data, inferential statistics (choice B) refer to techniques used to make inferences about populations based on samples, and statistical significance (choice D) refers to the likelihood of obtaining a result by chance. While all these concepts are related to data, they are not the same as data itself.

Question 7

Dr.Tarantino wants to know the degree to which heredity and environment affect differences among individuals.Which research approach would he be least likely to consider?

Accepted Answer

A gender study focuses specifically on differences between males and females, which is not directly related to the question of heredity and environment affecting differences among individuals. B, C, and D are all research approaches that directly address this question by examining the effects of genetics and environment on traits and behaviors within families or between individuals with different genetic backgrounds.

Question 8

Melanie has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.If the disorder is genetic,who is at greatest risk of developing the disorder?

Accepted Answer

Identical twins share the same genes, making them the most genetically similar individuals possible. As bipolar disorder has a genetic component, Melody, who shares the same genes as Melanie, would be at the greatest risk for developing the disorder. Marty, Marvin, and Marissa would also have an increased risk due to their genetic relatedness to Melanie, but not as high as Melody's risk.

Question 9

Dr.Narayan is interested in how much of personality is inherited,so she tests whether the personalities of siblings are more similar to each other than they are to distant cousins.This research would best be described as ____.

Accepted Answer

This research is investigating the role of genetics in personality, which falls under the field of behavioral genetics. Twin analysis would focus specifically on studying the personality similarities between identical and fraternal twins, and genetic engineering is not applicable to this type of research. The psychoanalytic approach is focused on unconscious processes and early childhood experiences, not genetics.

Question 10

Dr.Harshaw is planning to research the relationship between behavioral genetics and the effect of impulsivity on consumer behavior.To complete his research,Dr.Harshaw would likely conduct a ____.

Accepted Answer

To study the relationship between behavioral genetics and impulsivity on consumer behavior, Dr. Harshaw would likely conduct a twin study. Twin studies help researchers understand the heritability of certain traits or behaviors by comparing the similarities between fraternal and identical twins, who share different levels of genetic similarity. This type of study would allow Dr. Harshaw to examine the impact of genetics on impulsivity and how it affects consumer behavior. Representative sampling, random variable study, and personality tests could be useful for other types of research questions but are not as relevant to investigating the role of genetics in impulsivity and consumer behavior.

Question 11

Using your critical thinking skills to evaluate research designs and statistical methods becomes most important when you think about results that are ____.

Accepted Answer

When results are dramatic or unexpected, it is important to evaluate the research design and statistical methods as these types of results may be due to flaws in the methodology and not reflective of true findings.

Question 12

Ellen wants to see if the level of lighting in a room will affect the performance of individuals on an IQ test.One group in her study is placed in a room with very bright lights and a second group is placed in a room with more normal lighting.She finds that the individuals in the bright light group have better scores on the test than do the individuals in the normal light group.The difference between the two groups' scores is statistically significant,which means that the ____.

Accepted Answer

The phrase "statistically significant" means that the observed difference in test scores between the two groups is unlikely to have occurred by chance, suggesting a real effect of lighting on performance.

Question 13

Steve is pushing Little Larry around on the fifth-grade playground when Larry says,"Your parents raised you to be a rude brat." Steve replies,"Shut up,wimp.It's survival of the fittest on this playground,and I was born to rule." Steve and Larry are engaged in a debate over ____.

Accepted Answer

Steve and Larry are debating the idea of "survival of the fittest," which is a concept related to natural selection and the idea that certain traits are inherited through genetics. This relates to the debate over nature versus nurture in development.

Question 14

For his sociology research paper,Sawyer would like to report descriptive statistics from his survey findings.In other words,the statistics Sawyer plans to report will ____.

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics summarize a data set numerically, such as measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and measures of variability (range, standard deviation). They do not necessarily imply statistical significance, allow for inferences about a data set, or reveal cause-effect relationships.

Question 15

Kami starts reading books to his child before she is born.Now that she is two,he begins spending a little time each day on educational games,hoping that this will increase her intelligence.Kami believes that the most important determinant of mental development is ____.

Accepted Answer

Kami's belief that spending time on educational games will increase his child's intelligence indicates a belief in the importance of nurture, or environmental influences, on mental development.

Question 16

One can say that the results of a study are not statistically significant when the results ____.

Accepted Answer

If the results could reasonably be expected to have occurred by chance, they are not considered statistically significant. To be considered significant, it must be highly unlikely that the results occurred by chance. Options B and D describe statistically significant results, while option C does not pertain to the statistical significance of the results.

Question 17

Veronica is preparing a lecture for class tomorrow on the topic of behavioral genetics.The content of her lecture will focus on ____.

Accepted Answer

Behavioral genetics is the study of how genes affect behavior. Therefore, the content of Veronica's lecture is likely to focus on this topic. Choices A, B, and D are related to biology, human development, and neuropsychology respectively, but they are not specific to the study of how genes affect behavior.

Question 18

Dr.Zoeworks for a research foundation that focuses on epigenetics.Dr.Zoe's work most likely examines ____.

Accepted Answer

The focus of Dr. Zoe's research foundation is epigenetics, which is the study of changes in gene function that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence. This includes examining the effects of environmental factors and stress on gene function, which is the subject of choice D.

Question 19

Dr.Ayhee's research is focused on exploring how environmental effects,such as stress and disease,can alter the functions of genes in the human body,even though the DNA itself remains unchanged.This field of study is known as ____.

Accepted Answer

The field of study focused on exploring how environmental effects can alter gene function without changing the DNA itself is called epigenetics. Choice A is not related to the research focus described, choice C is not a commonly used term, and choice D is too broad to accurately describe the research focus.

Question 20

A researcher wants to know what conclusions she can reasonably draw from the data that she collected in her experiment.The researcher should use ____ statistics to understand the meaning of her data.

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics are used to make inferences or draw conclusions about a population based on data collected from a sample. This is exactly what the researcher aims to do by understanding the meaning of her experimental data.

Quiz 2: Research in Psychology