With increasing age,adopted children's verbal ability scores become ________ positively correlated with their adoptive parents' scores and ________ positively correlated with their biological parents' scores.
A) more;more
B) less;less
C) more;less
D) less;more

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct correlation for adopted children's verbal ability scores with their adoptive and biological parents' scores is less and more, respectively. This is because genetic factors are more influential on verbal ability than environmental factors, which explains the stronger correlation with biological parents as opposed to adoptive parents. As the adopted children age, their scores become less correlated with their adoptive parents' scores, as the influence of the environment decreases. However, their scores become more positively correlated with their biological parents' scores as genetic factors become increasingly influential with age.

With Increasing Age,adopted Children's Verbal Ability Scores Become ________ Positively