Modules 13 - 15
A human sperm cell contains
23 chromosomes.
Two plants are grown under the same environmental conditions, including the same soil conditions and the same amount of light and water, but one grows to 2 feet tall and the other is 1 foot tall. In this case, the heritability would be closest to
95 percent.
Psychologist Michael Gazzaniga asked split-brain patients to stare at a dot as he flashed HE·ART on a screen. HE appeared in the left visual field, ART in the right. When asked, patients said they saw _____
ART
What is the brief electrical charge that travels down an axon called?
Action potential
Which of the following fictional research findings is the best evidence against the idea that "our lives are determined by our experiences"?
Babies are born with personalities that are relatively stable throughout their lives.
How do evolutionary psychologists explain why pregnant women from cultures across the world tend to avoid bitter, strongly flavored foods?
Bitter tastes can be an indication of foods toxic toward a developing baby, so this preference developed through natural selection.
Which part of the nervous system begins the process for moving the muscles required to walk across the street?
Central nervous system
Which of the following fictional research findings is the best evidence against the idea that "biology is destiny"?
Cognitive therapy can help people change unwanted personality traits.
Patients with a split brain have had which structure in their brain severed?
Corpus callosum
Damage to the hippocampus would result in what?
Difficulty in creating new memories
An individual has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Which of the following neurotransmitters is most likely to be at fault?
Dopamine
You are aware that a dog is viciously barking at you, but you are not aware of the type of dog. Later, you are able to describe the type and color of the dog. This ability to process information without conscious awareness best exemplifies which of the following?
Dual processing
Evolutionary psychologists have suggested that women prefer monogamy and men promiscuity in ensuring the survival of their genetic material. However, monogamous relationships can also be explained using an evolutionary perspective. This best illustrates which of the following criticisms of evolutionary psychology?
Evolutionary psychology works backward to propose an explanation; thus, any behavior can be explained.
An individual experiences brain damage that results in an inability to make plans about the future. Which part of the brain was probably damaged?
Frontal lobe
Psychologist Michael Gazzaniga asked split-brain patients to stare at a dot as he flashed HE·ART on a screen. HE appeared in the left visual field, ART in the right. When asked to point to the word with their left hand, patients pointed to _____
HE
What was one of the major findings of Thomas Bouchard's study of twins?
He discovered striking similarities between adult identical twins who had been separated near birth.
Which of the following will be the most alike?
Identical twins raised in the same environment.
During which task might the right hemisphere of the brain be most active?
Imagining what a dress would look like on a friend
The dual-processing model refers to which of the following ideas?
Incoming information is processed by both conscious and unconscious tracks.
Epigenetics might best explain which of the following?
Lisa and Eloisa are identical twins; only one develops schizophrenia.
A researcher interested in determining the size of a particular area of the brain would be most likely to use which of the following techniques?
MRI
Which of the following statements has been supported by the research of evolutionary psychologists?
Men are attracted to women who appear fertile and capable of bearing children.
Which of the following is true regarding the initiation of sexual activity?
Men are more likely to initiate sexual activity than women.
Evolutionary psychologists seek to understand how traits and behavioral tendencies have been shaped by what?
Natural selection
Which is the most influential of the endocrine glands?
Pituitary gland
Which of the following best describes genetic mutation?
Random errors in gene replication
Which region of the brain plays a significant role in our sense of alertness and arousal?
Reticular formation
Who are likely to show the greatest similarity in personality?
Ruth and Ramona, identical twins
Research into dual processing provides partial evidence for levels of consciousness similar to the levels first described by which psychologist?
Sigmund Freud
Which of the following is most likely to be a function of the left hemisphere?
Speech
Which of the following is an example of gene-environment interaction?
Ted gets diabetes, which runs in his family, because he eats too much sugary food.
A split-brain patient has a picture of a dog flashed to his right hemisphere and a cat to his left hemisphere. Which of the following will he be able to verbalize?
That he saw a cat
Brain plasticity refers to which of the following?
The ability of brain tissue to take on new functions
Which of the following describes evidence for the brain's dual-processing ability?
The brainstem keeps our heart beating while the cerebral cortex maintains awareness of the outside world.
According to opinion polls, how do scientists and nonscientists react differently to the idea of evolution?
There is widespread consensus among scientists that evolution is scientific fact, but nearly half of U.S. adults do not believe in evolution.
Why do researchers use adoption studies in an effort to reveal genetic influences on personality?
To evaluate whether adopted children more closely resemble their adoptive parents or their biological parents
How have gender roles in the United States changed over time?
Traditional masculine or feminine traits are not as significant in mate selection as they were in the past.
Heritability refers to the percentage of what?
Variation in a trait across individuals that can be explained by genetics
The information carried in a gene is expressed as
a protein.
Identical twins originate from the fertilization of
a single egg cell by a single sperm cell.
Depending on environmental conditions, specific genes can be either
active or inactive.
The diversity of human traits is enabled by our shared
adaptive capacity.
Although identical twins have been shown to have some amazing psychological similarities, one should be cautious about attributing these similarities to genetic factors because
any two strangers are likely to share a string of coincidental similarities.
When the "Jim twins," identical twins separated at birth, were reunited 38 years later, surprising similarities were discovered. Although they had married women of the same name, named their sons and dogs the same names, one should be cautious before attributing these similarities to genetic factors because
any two strangers are likely to share coincidental similarities.
Research suggests that young men prefer older women, mid-twenties men prefer women their own age, and older men prefer younger women. Based on this finding, evolutionary psychologists suggest that men
are attracted to women with peak fertility.
An evolutionary psychologist would be likely to suggest that human preferences for sweet-tasting foods
are genetically predisposed.
The personalities of adopted children
are not very similar to the personalities of their adoptive parents.
Why is it incorrect to say that 50 percent heritability of intelligence means that the cause of your intelligence is 50 percent genetic and 50 percent environmental?
because heritability accounts for variations among people, not in specific individuals
A researcher who assesses the heritability of intelligence is most likely a(n)
behavior geneticist.
Assessing the relative effects of nature and nurture on individual differences in personality would be of most direct interest to
behavior geneticists.
The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior and personality traits is known as
behavior genetics.
When people discuss the "nature vs. nurture" controversy, Nature refers to ________ and Nurture refers to ________.
biology; environment
Which psychological perspective most directly addresses questions about the relative influences of nature and nurture?
biopsychosocial perspective
A split-brain patient has a picture of a dog flashed to his right hemisphere and a cat to his left hemisphere. He will be able to identify the _____
cat using his right hand
Chromosomes are located within human
cells.
Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to predict that
children are more likely to be valued by their biological fathers than by their stepfathers.
The threadlike structures that contain genes are called
chromosomes.
What is the interdisciplinary study of how brain activity is linked with our mental processes called?
cognitive neuroscience
Which kind of psychological researcher would be most interested in the research question, "Do people who lose most of their cerebral cortex in an accident still exhibit signs of consciousness?"
cognitive neuroscientist
Someone skilled at word processing thinks several letters ahead while typing, whereas a beginner must focus on one letter at a time. A novice is most likely using _________ to complete the task.
conscious serial processing
Information is most quickly transmitted from one cerebral hemisphere to the other by the _____
corpus callosum
Split-brain patients have had their ________ surgically cut.
corpus callosum
The ability to simultaneously copy different figures with the right and left hand is most characteristic of those whose ________ has been cut.
corpus callosum
Chromosomes are composed of
deoxyribonucleic acid.
Generally speaking, heritability is the extent to which _____
differences among people are accounted for by genes.
When looking at a flying bird, we are consciously aware of our cognitive processing ("It's a bird!") but not of our subconscious processing of the bird's form, color, distance, and movement. This illustrates what psychologists call _____
dual processing
Which cognitive neuroscience term reflects the idea that "much of our everyday thinking, feeling, and acting operates outside our conscious awareness"?
dual processing
Neurosurgeons have severed the corpus callosum in human patients in order to reduce _____
epileptic seizures
Professor Archibald suggests that men are more likely than women to initiate recreational 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(n) ________ theory.
evolutionary
Professor Assad suggested that a cautious attitude toward sexual encounters has proven to be more reproductively advantageous to women than to men because the birth process is time-consuming. This suggestion best illustrates the logic of a(n) ________ theory of sexual behavior.
evolutionary
Mamie is terrified of spiders. She tells her best friend, "Everybody in my family is afraid of spiders, so it must be genetic." Using the biopsychosocial approach to understanding her behavior, Mamie should
examine additional psychological and social-cultural influences on fear.
A segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a specific protein is called a
gene.
Research most clearly suggests that personality traits are more strongly influenced by
genes than by home environment.
Adopted children are more likely to demonstrate levels of agreeableness and extraversion, more similar to that of their biological parents than their adoptive parents. This finding suggests that personality traits are more strongly influenced by
genes than by the home environment.
Put the following terms in order, from smallest to largest.
genes, DNA, chromosomes
The biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes are called
genes.
Brittla frequents only the most expensive clubs in an effort to attract a desirable mate. According to evolutionary psychologists, Brittla's behavior is a product of
genetic predispositions
Studies of identical twins who had been reared apart most clearly highlight the importance of ________ in personality development.
genetic predispositions
Twin studies suggest that a strong influence on emotional instability comes from
genetic predispositions.
According to evolutionary psychologists, behaviors that promote reproductive success are likely to be
genetically predisposed.
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
genetics and environmental factors.
The complete set of genetic instructions in an organism's chromosomes is called the
genome.
Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to attribute gender differences in attitudes toward sex to the fact that men have ________ than do women.
greater reproductive potential
Twin studies suggest that Alzheimer's disease is influenced by
heredity.
Gender differences in heritable personality traits cannot necessarily be attributed to male-female genetic differences because
heritable traits can be influenced by social environments.
Human genome (DNA) researchers have discovered that
human genes are mostly the same, regardless of race.
Human genome (DNA) researchers have discovered that _____
human genes are mostly the same, regardless of race.
Critics of evolutionary psychology are most likely to suggest that it underestimates the
impact of cultural expectations on human sexual behavior.
An adaptation is an inherited physical or behavioral characteristic that
increases an organism's chance for survival.
The unique personalities of children evoke predictable responses from their caregivers. This best illustrates the ________ of nature and nurture.
interaction
The ability to recognize faces with the right hemisphere but not with the left hemisphere best illustrates _____
lateralization
The localization of a function such as speech production to the right or left side of the brain is called _____
lateralization
Someone trying to add a long series of three digit numbers is probably experiencing increased brain waves and blood flow to which brain structure?
left hemisphere
If primed with the flashed word foot, the ________ will be especially quick to recognize the word heel. If primed with foot, cry, and glass, the ________ will be especially quick to recognize the word cut.
left hemisphere; right hemisphere
Compared with identical twins, fraternal twins are
less likely to be the same sex and less likely to be similar in extraversion.
Women are most likely to be sexually attracted to men who seem
mature and affluent.
DNA is a complex
molecule.
Evolutionary psychologists have suggested that men are ________ likely than women to prefer mates with a fertile-looking appearance and ________ likely than women to prefer mates with wealth and social status.
more; less
Compared with women, men are ________ likely to sacrifice to gain sex and ________ likely to perceive warm responses as a sexual come-on.
more; more
A random error in gene replication is known as a
mutation.
Evolutionary psychology studies the evolution of behavior and the mind using principles of
natural selection.
If a genetic predisposition to fear darkness contributes to reproductive success, that trait will likely be passed on to subsequent generations. This best illustrates
natural selection.
The prevalence of genetically predisposed traits that have a reproductive advantage is best explained in terms of
natural selection.
The reproductive advantage enjoyed by organisms best suited to a particular environment is known as
natural selection.
The reproductive advantage enjoyed by organisms best suited to a specific environment is known as
natural selection.
Which statement best reflects current psychology's understanding of the relationship between nature and nurture?
nature via nurture
Our adaptive flexibility in responding to different environments contributes to our fitness, which refers to
our ability to survive and reproduce.
Consciousness is _____
our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.
A behavior geneticist would be most interested in studying hereditary influences on
personality traits.
Identical twins separated at birth would be most likely to have similar
personality.
Adoptive parents are most likely to influence the ________ of their adopted children.
political attitudes
Natural selection acts on
populations.
Deaf people who use sign language typically _____
process language in their left cerebral hemisphere.
Evolutionary psychologists are most likely to be criticized for
providing hindsight explanations for human behaviors.
The home environment most clearly has a greater influence on children's ________ than on their ________.
religious beliefs; personality traits
According to evolutionary psychologists, our predisposition to overconsume fatty junk foods illustrates that we are biologically prepared to behave in ways that promoted the ________ of our ancestors.
reproductive success
Evolutionary psychologists are most likely to emphasize that human adaptiveness to a variety of different environments has contributed to human
reproductive success.
Evolutionary psychologists emphasize that environmentally adaptive behaviors are those that have promoted
reproductive success.
A picture of a cat is briefly flashed in the left visual field and a picture of a mouse is briefly flashed in the right visual field of a split-brain patient. The individual will be able to use her _____
right hand to indicate she saw a mouse.
A failure to recognize that one's arm or leg is part of one's self is most likely to be associated with damage to the _____
right hemisphere
Someone trying to figure out an optical illusion is probably experiencing increased brain waves and blood flow to which brain structure?
right hemisphere
Which brain structure might be most active when answering the question "What do the following words have in common: plane, butter, insect?"
right hemisphere
Dmitry Belyaev and Lyudmila Trut successfully domesticated wild foxes by means of
selective mating.
An African butterfly that is green in the summer turns brown in the fall thanks to a temperature-controlled genetic switch. This best illustrates that genes are
self-regulating.
Many genes respond to environmental conditions, reacting to different environmental contexts in different ways. This characteristic of genes is called what?
self-regulation
The genome is the complete
set of genetic material in an organism's chromosomes.
Damage to the left cerebral hemisphere is most likely to reduce people's ability to _____
speak fluently
Males in their ________ are most likely to be sexually attracted to women who are several years older rather than several years younger than themselves.
teens.
The interaction of biological influences, psychological influences, and social-cultural influences on our behavior is known as
the biopsychosocial approach.
People have always responded so positively to Alyssa's good looks that she has developed a socially confident and outgoing personality. This best illustrates
the interaction of nature and nurture.
Researchers use dichotic listening tasks to investigate right-left differences in an intact brain. In this task, a different verbal stimulus is presented simultaneously to each ear. Findings suggest that participants more quickly recall information heard by the right ear. This suggests that _____
the left hemisphere is dominant in language processing.
Epigenetics refers to the
the study of how the environment triggers genetic expression.
Heritability refers to the extent to which
trait differences among individuals are attributable to genetic variations.
To estimate trait heritability, researchers are most likely to make use of
twin studies.
Fraternal twins originate from the fertilization of
two egg cells by two sperm cells.
A picture of a dog is briefly flashed in the left visual field of a split-brain patient. At the same time a picture of a boy is flashed in the right visual field. In identifying what she saw, the patient would be most likely to _____
verbally report that she saw a boy.
Researchers found that women rated men higher as potential long-term mates when they spent more time looking at baby pictures. This finding suggests that
women prefer men who express interest in caring for joint offspring.
Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to predict that men will marry women who are ________ than they are.
younger
