Deck 4: Sex Differences in Behavior: Animal Models and Humans

Question 1

SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Organizational effects of hormones are

A) primarily exerted at puberty.
B) primarily exerted during prenatal or early postnatal development.
C) exerted only by androgens.
D) easily reversed by administration of hormones in adulthood.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The sum of culturally based behavioral patterns that are specific to one sex is called

A) sexual determinism.
B) gender role.
C) gender identity.
D) gender orientation.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Studies of the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) suggest that one way in which hormones can influence sexual differentiation of the brain (sexual dimorphism) is through

A) conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone.
B) conversion of cholesterol to cortisol.
C) enhancement of cell birth.
D) prevention of cell death.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Lateralization of function to one hemisphere of the human brain is

A) greatest in males.
B) greatest in females.
C) equal across the sexes.
D) restricted to males.

Question 5

Many environmental pollutants possess steroidogenic effects in animals. These endocrine effects are

A) most detrimental to females.
B) most detrimental to males.
C) harmless for males and females.
D) detrimental to females, but beneficial for males.

Question 6

Several studies have indicated that women perform better on tests of spatial ability

A) than do men.
B) when estrogen concentrations are high.
C) when estrogen concentrations are low.
D) when androgen concentrations are low.

Question 7

Anatomical evidence that hormones may influence brain structure and contribute to sex differences in behavior arises from studies of the

A) corpus callosum.
B) thalamus.
C) visual cortex.
D) nucleus accumbens. SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1

Question 8

Primate rough-and-tumble play is an example of sexually dimorphic behavior that is

A) activated and organized.
B) activated but not organized.
C) organized but not activated.
D) not influenced by hormones.

Question 9

Primate yawning during sex is an example of a sexually dimorphic behavior that is

A) activated and organized.
B) activated but not organized.
C) organized but not activated.
D) not influenced by hormones.

Question 10

Aggressive behavior in mice is an example of a sexually dimorphic behavior that is

A) activated and organized.
B) activated but not organized.
C) organized but not activated.
D) not influenced by hormones.

Question 11

Which of the following is the cause of sex difference seen in the size of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the pre-optic area (SDN-POA) in rats?

A) Decreased number of cells
B) Decreased cell size
C) The activity of estrogens
D) The activity of oxytocin
E) Both a and c

Question 12

In which brain structure would you expect to see higher binding of mineralocorticoid in male rats compared with female rats?

A) Amygdala
B) Pineal gland
C) Hippocampus
D) Hypothalamus
E) Both a and c

Question 13

Female dogs use the male urination posture about 50% of the time if

A) exposed to testosterone both in utero and postpartum.
B) ovariectomized in adulthood.
C) ovariectomized at birth.
D) their internal sex organs were masculinized.

Question 14

Testosterone is the prohormone for

A) serotonin and arginine vasotocin.
B) estradiol and dihydrotestosterone.
C) aromatase and 5α-reductase.
D) None of the above; testosterone is not a prohormone.

Question 15

The SDN-MPOA of rats is

A) larger in males as the result of estrogens.
B) larger in females as the result of estrogens.
C) larger in males as the result of direct effects of androgens.
D) None of the above; there is no sex difference in the SDN-MPOA of rodents.

Question 16

Give two examples of an organizational effect of hormones on behavior and one example of an activational effect of hormones on behavior.

Question 17

List two sex differences in human behavior that may be due to hormonal differences.

Question 18

Briefly explain how estrogen can act in the brain to induce male-specific behaviors in males, even though the male gonads produce testosterone.

Question 19

A strong relationship among hormones, brain structure, and sexually dimorphic behaviors has been established in studies of birdsong. Briefly explain the sex differences in size and function of brain structures and hormones in zebra finches.

Question 20

Describe the role of sexual behavior in parthenogenic species. How is it controlled and what does it tell us, if anything, about the function of male and female-like behaviors in sexual reproduction?

Question 21

What do atypical examples of sexual differentiation in people tell us about the male and female sexes? Is it useful to consider gonadal sex, chromosomal sex, behavioral sex, gender identity, and sex roles in answering this question?

Question 22

Using one of the species that displays sexually dimorphic reproductive behaviors described the textbook as an example, discuss how an estrogenic environmental pollutant such as BPA might alter behavior to impact reproduction. Consider both potential organizational and activational effects of the pollutant.

Question 23

You see a news report indicating that males are more likely to procrastinate because they have higher testosterone. The researchers tested males and females to determine how much time it took to complete a task and measured their hormone concentrations. They found that males have higher testosterone and take longer to finish the task. Are their conclusions valid? Based on what you know about activational/organizational effects of hormones, what are the alternative possibilities for this sex difference? How might you assess (in humans-no unethical experimental manipulations) whether this sex difference is activated, organized, or independent of sex steroids entirely?

Question 24

Describe the conceptual differences between binary and nonbinary gender identity. How might hormones contribute to each model of human gender identity?