Deck 9: The Inheritance of Personality: Behavioral Genetics and Evolutionary Psychology

Question 1

Which of the following attributes seems to have the lowest heritability coefficient?

A) phobias
B) alcoholism
C) extraversion
D) depression

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The notion that humans could be improved through selective breeding is called________.

A) eugenics
B) cloning
C) behavioral Darwinism
D) heritability

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The field of study that attempts to explain how individual differences in behavior (i.e.,personality traits)are shared by biological relatives is called ________.

A) evolutionary biology
B) behavioral genetics
C) heritability science
D) behavioral Darwinism

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The most controversial thing that has arisen from the study of behavioral genetics is that it has led to ________.

A) ideas such as eugenics and cloning
B) the chance that the public will think criminality is unchangeable
C) heated debates between behavioral geneticists and evolutionary psychologists
D) the chance that the public will think twins are the same in every way

Question 5

A scientist who studies how patterns of behavior characteristic of the entire human species originated because of the survival value they had for our ancestors is called ________.

A) evolutionary psychologists
B) behavioral geneticist
C) heritability scientist
D) behavioral Darwinist

Question 6

If a trait is influenced by genes,then it ought to be more highly correlated across pairs of ________ than across pairs of ________.

A) genetic siblings; fraternal twins
B) fraternal twins; identical twins
C) identical twins; fraternal twins
D) adoptive siblings; genetic siblings

Question 7

Behavioral genetics,like trait psychology,focuses on aspects of personality that ________,whereas evolutionary psychology more typically focuses on aspects of personality that ________.

A) all humans share; differ from one individual to another
B) vary among groups of individuals; vary among individuals
C) differ from one individual to another; all humans share
D) are species-specific; are individual-specific

Question 8

When personality psychologists measure trait differences in extraversion,what kinds of direct observations are they making?

A) phenotypic
B) genotypic
C) allelic
D) genome-wide

Question 9

What is the correct formula for calculating heritability?

A) 2 (rMZ - rDZ)
B) 2 - (rMZ - rDZ)
C) 2 + (rMZ - rDZ)
D) 2 (rDZ - rMZ)

Question 10

Jacob and Ashley have the same father but have different mothers.About how much genetic material do they share?

A) 0
B) .125
C) .25
D) .50

Question 11

According to the text,biology will NEVER be able to explain ________.

A) which brain structures are associated with depression
B) how people act in their daily social environments
C) how likely it is for schizophrenia to be passed down from mother to child
D) the influence increased serotonin has on changes in behavior

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT indicated by a heritability statistic?

A) whether genetic factors play some role in shaping individual differences
B) whether the etiology of certain conditions such as mental retardation is environmental
C) whether genes and environments interact to produce behavior
D) how much variability in a trait is due to nonshared environmental factors

Question 13

Monozygotic (MZ)twins share ________ percent of the genes that vary across individuals,and dizygotic (DZ)twins share,on average,________ percent of the genes that vary across individuals.

A) 50; 25
B) 90; 10
C) 50; 100
D) 100; 50

Question 14

What behavioral genetic research finding seems to support the conclusion that the effect of growing up in the same home environment is rather minimal?

A) The personality traits of monozygotic (MZ) twins are correlated at .50 on average.
B) The personality traits of dizygotic (DZ) twins are correlated at .30 on average.
C) The personality traits of adoptive siblings raised in the same family are correlated around .05.
D) The personality traits of adoptive siblings raised in the same family are correlated above .25.

Question 15

What might explain the difference in heritability coefficients between twin and non-twin studies?

A) increased measurement error in non-twin studies
B) the presence of interactive genetic effects
C) the greater statistical power of twin studies
D) the rarity of non-twin studies

Question 16

According to estimates based on twin studies,the average heritability coefficient of many traits of personality is about ________ when using self-reports of personality.

A) .20
B) .40
C) .80
D) 1.0

Question 17

The ________ refers to the underlying genetic structure that leads to the observable ________.

A) phenotype; genogram
B) genotype; phenotype
C) phenotype; genotype
D) genetic map; genetic architecture

Question 18

If the correlation between the shyness of a sample of dizygotic twin pairs is .25 and the correlation between the shyness of a sample of monozygotic twin pairs is .50,then the heritability coefficient for shyness is ________.

A) .125
B) .250
C) .500
D) 2.00

Question 19

The presence of schizophrenia was measured in both monozygotic (MZ)and dizygotic (DZ)twins.The correlation between the MZ twins was .50 and the correlation between the DZ twins was .30.What is the heritability coefficient for schizophrenia?

A) .80
B) .20
C) .40
D) .65

Question 20

According to studies of non-twin relatives,the average heritability coefficient for most traits is about ________.

A) .20
B) .40
C) .60
D) .80

Question 21

What book marked the beginning of evolutionary thinking?

A) Lorenz's On Aggression
B) Wilson's Sociobiology
C) Pinker's How the Mind Works
D) Darwin's Origin of Species

Question 22

A(n)________ searches for specific genes that are linked with particular personality attributes.

A) epigenetic scan
B) epigenetic association study
C) allelic frequency study
D) genome-wide association study

Question 23

Linda is highly neurotic.Which of the following genes is Linda most likely to have?

A) DRD4
B) SSRI
C) 5-HTT
D) APOA

Question 24

According to the text,we can be 100 percent certain that all of our ancestors have done which of the following?

A) had successful careers
B) received adequate education
C) had children
D) lived to old age

Question 25

As a result of Timothy's genes,he went through puberty later than his peers.Because he was much smaller than other boys,they tended to pick on him,and he fought back to protect himself.As a young adult,Timothy is more aggressive than his peers.This scenario illustrates that his aggression is ________.

A) completely the result of his genetic inheritance
B) completely the result of his early social environment
C) the result of an interaction between the genetic expression and the resulting social environment
D) the result of his social environment in adulthood because genes cannot affect behavior in adulthood

Question 26

A recent study indicates that a serotonin-related genetic allele seems to influence the development of depression in conjunction with ________.

A) stressful life events
B) high neuroticism
C) low extraversion
D) childhood maltreatment

Question 27

A scientist interested in understanding how early experiences shape genetic expression studies ________.

A) eugenetics
B) ontogenetics
C) epigenetics
D) genome-wide associations

Question 28

How might a behavior geneticist explain the statistically significant finding that television watching is heritable?

A) There is an active gene that causes individuals to watch TV.
B) There are related heritable propensities, such as sensation seeking or lethargy that might lead one to watch TV more often.
C) Individuals form TV watching habits if they grow up with parents who often watch TV.
D) Parents encourage their children to watch TV because of its inherit tendency to keep them well-informed about the world around them, which helps secure their reproductive success.

Question 29

Bryan has just been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Which of the following genes is Bryan most likely to have?

A) DRD4
B) SSRI
C) 5-HTT
D) APOA

Question 30

A high heritability coefficient can result when the trait ________ across individuals or when genes are important in ________ sense.

A) does not vary; a very limited
B) varies greatly; an absolute
C) varies greatly; a very limited
D) does not vary; an absolute

Question 31

Which factor below would be part of the so-called nonshared environment?

A) family SES
B) genetic attributes
C) different friendships for siblings
D) general parenting styles

Question 32

When Brett was born,he and his identical twin were separated and have been living on opposite sides of the country ever since in houses of equal socioeconomic status yet with parents employing drastically different parenting styles.Which of the following are Brett and his twin most likely to share?

A) a sense of rebelliousness
B) level of anxiety
C) IQ score
D) music preference

Question 33

A gene that produces low levels of ________ activity in conjunction with ________ seems to increase the risk for developing antisocial behavior.

A) serotonin; childhood maltreatment
B) MAOA; childhood maltreatment
C) DRD4; exposure to antisocial peers
D) dopamine; exposure to antisocial peers

Question 34

Which of the below best describes the future of behavioral genetics according to the text?

A) The further documenting of the fact that genes have important influences on personality.
B) The further understanding of the ways in which personality traits have evolved over time.
C) The further understanding of gene-environment correlations and interactions.
D) The future understanding of the interaction between the current social structure and evolved mechanisms.

Question 35

In the past,some psychologists have concluded that shared family environments have little or no effect on personality development.Recent research has cast doubt on such conclusions by finding that ________.

A) molecular geneticists identified the specific alleles associated with each of the Big Five personality traits
B) the shared family environment actually has a larger effect on personality than does the shared nonfamily environment (i.e., school)
C) the shared environment was related to certain aspects of personality when personality was measured through direct behavioral observation
D) the shared environment was related to personality when personality was measured through self-report data

Question 36

If there is no phenotypic variation in a trait,then the heritability of that trait will be approximately ________.

A) 1.0
B) .50
C) .25
D) 0

Question 37

Henry and Adam are identical twins.According to a study conducted by Bokenau and colleagues,similar levels of which trait are NOT likely to be influenced by their shared environment?

A) extraversion
B) neuroticism
C) openness
D) agreeableness

Question 38

What term refers to different forms of the same gene?

A) chromosome
B) genotype
C) allele
D) nucleotide

Question 39

What is the scientific benefit of knowing a trait's heritability coefficient?

A) the variance in a trait that is due to genetic influences
B) the degree to which genetic influences in a trait are due to inheritance
C) the degree to which reliable genetic effects are statistically significant
D) the degree to which genetic effects will replicate in an additional sample

Question 40

In which sample would you expect the heritability of IQ to be the lowest?

A) low socioeconomic status twins
B) middle socioeconomic status twins
C) high socioeconomic status twins
D) none of the above; the heritability will be the same in all three groups

Question 41

What explanation might an evolutionary psychologist give for an individual giving a large amount of money to charity?

A) In our current social environment, people who give money to charity are regarded as noble and are therefore attractive.
B) People are basically selfless people who give for the sake of giving.
C) Giving to charity increases our self-esteem, which is an indicator of our social acceptance.
D) Giving to charity satisfies our basic instinct to balance the social scales.

Question 42

The idea that feelings of self-esteem evolved to gauge social acceptance is known as the ________ theory.

A) sociometer
B) social self
C) social self-acceptance
D) self-esteem as survival

Question 43

What might be the evolutionary function of crying,according to recent research described in the text?

A) a way to elicit social support
B) an aversive motivator of behavioral change toward more adaptive pursuits
C) an index of social acceptance
D) a way of preventing wasteful energy expenditures on lost causes

Question 44

Which of the following describes someone high in sociosexuality?

A) someone who consistently follows sex role norms
B) a man who women would describe as "husband material"
C) someone who buys flashy jewelry in order to attract a mate
D) a very sensitive and even effeminate man

Question 45

Kara is placing a personal ad in the local paper.According to evolutionary predictions about mate selection,she will most likely mention her ________ when describing herself.

A) physical attractiveness
B) future goals
C) financial resources
D) personality traits

Question 46

When placing personal ads,women are more likely to specify that they are seeking someone who is ________,whereas men are more likely to specify that they are seeking someone who is ________.

A) younger; older
B) the same age; younger
C) older; younger
D) older; the same age

Question 47

So far,evolutionary psychology has been much more concerned with the origins of ________ than with ________.

A) unconscious processes; conscious processes
B) extraversion and agreeableness; neuroticism, openness, and conscientiousness
C) neuroticism, openness, and conscientiousness; extraversion and agreeableness
D) general human nature; individual differences

Question 48

A woman who mates with an unstable but attractive man seems to follow a different reproductive strategy than most other women.This idea is called ________.

A) the sexy son hypothesis
B) taking the reproductive high road
C) the adaptive option proposal
D) evolutionary roaming

Question 49

What term describes the willingness to engage in sexual activities in the absence of a committed relationship?

A) openness to experience
B) sensation seeking
C) sociosexuality
D) sociometry

Question 50

Kevin is placing a personal ad in the local paper.According to evolutionary predictions about mate selection,he will most likely mention his ________ when describing himself.

A) physical attractiveness
B) propensity for jealousy
C) financial resources
D) young age

Question 51

Men who score high on ________ are especially accurate when it comes to judging their mate value,whereas women who score high on ________ are especially accurate when it comes to judging their mate value.

A) neuroticism; sociosexuality
B) sociosexuality; narcissism
C) sociosexuality; agreeableness
D) narcissism; sociosexuality

Question 52

Across a wide variety of cultures,________ are more likely than ________ to place a higher value on physical attractiveness.

A) women; men
B) introverts; extraverts
C) extraverts; introverts
D) men; women

Question 53

According to evolutionary theory,a man's greatest worry is that ________.

A) his partner will leave for another person
B) he is not the biological father of the children that he is supporting
C) his partner will form an emotional bond with another person
D) his partner will share resources with another person

Question 54

Rachel was just dumped by her boyfriend.According to a recent study about types of depression,the particular kind of depression that will most likely follow is characterized by ________.

A) emotional pain, crying, and seeking social support
B) aggression, hostility, and anger
C) fatigue, pessimism, and guilt
D) sexual dysfunction, increased cortisol, and increased motor activity

Question 55

For both men and women,those who score high on ________ are especially concerned with finding attractive mating partners,whereas women and men who score low on ________ are concerned with traits related to parenting behaviors.

A) neuroticism; sociosexuality
B) sociosexuality; neuroticism
C) narcissism; agreeableness
D) sociosexuality; sociosexuality

Question 56

According to evolutionary psychology,which of the following does NOT account for individual differences?

A) Certain levels of maladaptive traits such as neuroticism ensure that populations are not so excessively large that it threatens the survival of the group.
B) Behavioral patterns evolve as reactions to specific environmental experiences (and if different individuals inhabit different environments, they will then exhibit different behavioral patterns).
C) Individuals differ in terms of the behavioral strategies that make the most sense, given their other characteristics.
D) Some biologically influenced behavior may be "frequency dependent" (only appearing in some subset of the population).

Question 57

According to evolutionary biology,altruistic behavior might help assure the survival of one's own genes into succeeding generations primarily because ________.

A) altruistic individuals take fewer risks than nonaltruistic individuals, so they are more likely to survive and produce children
B) altruistic people tend to attract more mates, thereby increasing the likelihood that altruistic people will reproduce
C) some of your genes will make it into the next generation if the people who share your genes also survive
D) altruism promotes physical health and longevity

Question 58

A researcher interested in predicting patterns of helping behavior using the concept of inclusive fitness would want to know ________.

A) how strongly helping behavior in biological parents correlates with helping behavior in their offspring
B) how much genetic material you share with someone you might help
C) the similarity between adopted siblings on measures of helping behavior
D) monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) correlations for helping behavior

Question 59

The evolutionary explanation of sex differences in mate selection is that ________.

A) men and women seek very different things; men seek just sex and women seek commitment
B) the differences are the result of a biological fluke and will disappear completely in the next hundred years
C) men and women seek essentially the same thing; both are trying to increase the likelihood that they will produce viable offspring who will survive
D) the differences are the result of socialization practices

Question 60

Harry just lost his job.According to a recent study,the particular kind of depression that will most likely follow is characterized by ________.

A) emotional pain, crying, and seeking social support
B) aggression, hostility, and anger
C) fatigue, pessimism, and guilt
D) sexual dysfunction, increased cortisol, and increased motor activity

Question 61

The point of view that scientists will eventually be able to explain everything about the mind via biology is called ________.

A) biological reductionism
B) the naturalistic fallacy
C) psychophysical structuralism
D) evolutionary theorizing

Question 62

Much of the world is changing toward a setting where physical strength matters less and alternative child-care arrangements are possible.The view that men's and women's behavioral tendencies are determined by social structure implies that ________.

A) their behavioral tendencies will change over thousands of years
B) their behavioral tendencies will change relatively quickly (over hundreds of years)
C) their behavioral tendencies will probably never change
D) men will primarily adopt child-rearing duties and women will primarily adopt the duties of rulers and warriors

Question 63

Match each rebuttal with its associated stress test of evolutionary psychology.
a.Evolution of a cerebral cortex enables humans to have the ability to overcome innate urges.
b.It is not necessary for people to be consciously aware of what evolutionary theory says is required for reproductive success.
c.For any theoretical proposal in science, alternative explanations are always possible.
d.The differences between men and women in mate selection and other behaviors are built-in through biological evolution.
e.Evolutionary psychologists are not concerned with the moral justification or condemnation of any one aspect of the human psyche.
Methodology

Question 64

All of the following are reasonable complications to evolutionary personality theory EXCEPT ________.

A) males' looks are extremely important to many women
B) women that are very thin lack sufficient body fat to menstruate
C) the degree to which someone is considered physically attractive can be influenced by how much we like them
D) women and men often abandon their children

Question 65

All of the following are objections to evolutionary theorizing EXCEPT ________.

A) evolutionary theorizing consists of after-the-fact speculations that cannot be put to empirical test
B) evolutionary theorists assume that everybody wants many children when, in fact, many people limit their own reproduction
C) evolutionary theorists assume that behavior patterns present today are essentially inevitable and unchangeable because they are rooted in our biology
D) evolutionary theory is unnecessarily complicated because it involves too many basic principles

Question 66

Match each rebuttal with its associated stress test of evolutionary psychology.
a.Evolution of a cerebral cortex enables humans to have the ability to overcome innate urges.
b.It is not necessary for people to be consciously aware of what evolutionary theory says is required for reproductive success.
c.For any theoretical proposal in science, alternative explanations are always possible.
d.The differences between men and women in mate selection and other behaviors are built-in through biological evolution.
e.Evolutionary psychologists are not concerned with the moral justification or condemnation of any one aspect of the human psyche.
Reproductive instinct

Question 67

Match each rebuttal with its associated stress test of evolutionary psychology.
a.Evolution of a cerebral cortex enables humans to have the ability to overcome innate urges.
b.It is not necessary for people to be consciously aware of what evolutionary theory says is required for reproductive success.
c.For any theoretical proposal in science, alternative explanations are always possible.
d.The differences between men and women in mate selection and other behaviors are built-in through biological evolution.
e.Evolutionary psychologists are not concerned with the moral justification or condemnation of any one aspect of the human psyche.
Conservative bias

Question 68

Which of the following is NOT an assumption of evolutionary psychology?

A) Behavioral patterns developed because they were helpful or necessary for survival.
B) The current behavioral order was inevitable and unchangeable in the short term.
C) Our primary goal is ensuring our reproductive success as well as the reproductive success of our offspring.
D) Certain social influences enable individuals to dictate when their reproductive instincts are present.

Question 69

In contrast to evolutionary theorizing,Eagly and Wood (1999)suggest that ________.

A) societies' norms reflect men's greater size and strength and women's role in childbearing more than biologically hardwired behavioral tendencies
B) social norms are shaped by evolutionary forces and therefore impossible to change
C) social norms regarding child care vary dramatically from one culture to the next
D) the great diversity of gender roles across cultures undermines evolutionary perspectives

Question 70

What is the biggest reason that cloning will NEVER be feasible?

A) Meeting your clone would be too confusing to process.
B) Personality is the result of a complex interaction between one's genes and environment.
C) The government has refused to fund any research on cloning.
D) Our understanding of the genetic basis of personality is far too limited to know which genes are related to specific personality traits.

Question 71

Match each rebuttal with its associated stress test of evolutionary psychology.
a.Evolution of a cerebral cortex enables humans to have the ability to overcome innate urges.
b.It is not necessary for people to be consciously aware of what evolutionary theory says is required for reproductive success.
c.For any theoretical proposal in science, alternative explanations are always possible.
d.The differences between men and women in mate selection and other behaviors are built-in through biological evolution.
e.Evolutionary psychologists are not concerned with the moral justification or condemnation of any one aspect of the human psyche.
Human flexibility

Question 72

According to the Eagly and Wood's social-structure theory,why are women more likely to value wealth and power in a mate over their physical appearance?

A) Due to their superior strength, men typically hold positions of power and dominance in today's society.
B) Women have evolved to value how well her mate will be able to provide for her and her offspring.
C) Women are attracted to men who will buy them expensive objects.
D) Women are attracted to men who are careful and responsible.

Question 73

Match each rebuttal with its associated stress test of evolutionary psychology.
a.Evolution of a cerebral cortex enables humans to have the ability to overcome innate urges.
b.It is not necessary for people to be consciously aware of what evolutionary theory says is required for reproductive success.
c.For any theoretical proposal in science, alternative explanations are always possible.
d.The differences between men and women in mate selection and other behaviors are built-in through biological evolution.
e.Evolutionary psychologists are not concerned with the moral justification or condemnation of any one aspect of the human psyche.
Biological determinism

Question 74

Match each psychologically evolved mechanism perspective with its associated behavior.
a.Useful in seeking social support
b.Enables social dominance and an increase in status
c.Helps secure the reproductive success of close relatives
d.Increases awareness of infidelity
e.Helps secure a dedicated and lifelong mate
Crying

Question 75

Match each psychologically evolved mechanism perspective with its associated behavior.
a.Useful in seeking social support
b.Enables social dominance and an increase in status
c.Helps secure the reproductive success of close relatives
d.Increases awareness of infidelity
e.Helps secure a dedicated and lifelong mate
Altruism

Question 76

If Sally believes that anything natural is morally acceptable,she is committing a ________ fallacy.

A) naturalistic
B) reductionistic
C) justificationist
D) evolutionary

Question 77

Match each psychologically evolved mechanism perspective with its associated behavior.
a.Useful in seeking social support
b.Enables social dominance and an increase in status
c.Helps secure the reproductive success of close relatives
d.Increases awareness of infidelity
e.Helps secure a dedicated and lifelong mate
Aggression

Question 78

Match each psychologically evolved mechanism perspective with its associated behavior.
a.Useful in seeking social support
b.Enables social dominance and an increase in status
c.Helps secure the reproductive success of close relatives
d.Increases awareness of infidelity
e.Helps secure a dedicated and lifelong mate
Male sexual jealousy

Question 79

There are controversies related to evolutionary theorizing with respect to the difficulty in providing an evolutionary explanation to rare behaviors.This has been called the ________.

A) low base rate fallacy
B) dilemma of the rarely exercised option
C) spurious causation fallacy
D) naturalistic fallacy

Question 80

Match each psychologically evolved mechanism perspective with its associated behavior.
a.Useful in seeking social support
b.Enables social dominance and an increase in status
c.Helps secure the reproductive success of close relatives
d.Increases awareness of infidelity
e.Helps secure a dedicated and lifelong mate
Female mate pickiness