Psychology 100 Spring 2003 Madigan
KEY
FORM A
p. 1
PSYCHOLOGY 100 TEST #3
Behavior Genetics
01. Crossing-over and assortment are two processes that:
a. directly influence mate choice
b. produce variability in the genomes of siblings
c. ensure that important traits will be transmitted from parents to child
d. oppose each other
02. Scott and Fuller’s breeding experiments with dogs showed that:
a. fear of human strangers seemed to be controlled by a single dominant gene
b. hybrid animals when mated produced fearful offspring 90% of the time
c. fearfulness could be not be produced in either breed when raised in isolation from people
d. all of the above
03. Heritability refers to the proportion of:
a. genetic influence involved in a particular trait in a particular individual.
b. % of the variability in a trait due to genetic differences in a population.
c. genes that two particular individuals have in common.
d. genes that a parent will pass on to his or her offspring for a given trait.
04. Which of the following is/are true of the measurement of heritability:
a. it produces statistical estimates rather then exact values
b. it can vary from 0 to 100, in principle
c. heritability of a given trait can vary over populations and over time
d. all of the above
05. Which of the following heritable traits have been successfully bred in controlled breeding
experiments:
a. fearfulness
b. aggressiveness
c. drinking preferences
d. all of the above
06. In Tryon’s experiment on selective breeding for maze-learning ability, after three generations
a. maze-bright animals had more cortical cells than maze-dull animals
b. maze-bright animals were easier to reinforce than maze-dull animals
c. maze-bright animals were generally healthier than maze-dull animals
d. it wasn’t clear what systems had been changed by the breeding procedure
Psychology 100 Spring 2003 Madigan
FORM A
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07. Suppose that weight has a heritability of .60. If a large random sample of people were kept on
the same diet reduced calorie diet for a long period of time, the heritability estimate of weight in
this sample would necessarily ____________.
a. increase
b. decrease
c. increase or decrease, depending on initial weight
d. not change
08. With respect to heritability complex traits such as shyness or intellect, which of the following
is/are not presently well-understood:
a. what the specific gene products are that produce variation in the behavior
b. how many genes are involved
c. exactly what parts or processes of the nervous system show heritable differences
d. all of the above
09. Which process results in the faithful duplication of genetic material?
a. genotyping
b. crossing over
c. mitosis
d. meiosis
10. The “pedigree analysis” presented in the textbook shows how ________________ is
responsible for _____________.
a. single dominant gene; specific language disorder
b. shared environment; shyness
c. several genes; shyness
d. several dominant genes; aggressiveness
11. Purebred basenji hounds are fearful and purebred cocker spaniels are not. If this difference is
due entirely to a single dominant gene promoting fearfulness, then about what percentage of F1
offspring of cockers and basenjis should show high fear?
a. 0 percent
b. 50 percent
c. 75 percent
d. 100 percent
12. The treatment for PKU--a disorder involving the enzyme that breaks down phenylalanine-includes regulating the individual's diet in order to reduce the intake of phenylalanine. This is
evidence that:
a. PKU is a recessive gene disorder.
b. PKU manifests itself in every individual carrying one of the defective genes.
c. environmental treatments can be effective for genetic disorders.
d. environment plays a more important role in the development of PKU than do genes.
Psychology 100 Spring 2003 Madigan
FORM A
p. 3
13. Why is the strain difference produced by Tryon not appropriately characterized in terms of
“brightness” or “dullness”?
a. later studies found Tryon's dull rats to be just as good if not better than the bright ones at
other learning tasks.
b. visual acuity was determined to be the underlying ability that changed in the two strains, not
learning ability itself.
c. with each generation the two strains became increasingly similar, until by the seventh-generation
there was almost total overlap in ability.
d. the concept of intelligence cannot be applied to non-human animals
14. What kind of research on heritability of traits in humans is rarest:
a. twin studies
b. adoption studies
c. pedigree studies
d. controlled experimentation
Intelligence
15. The first scale to measure intelligence (Binet’s scale) made use of:
a. teacher ratings of classroom performance
b. measures of a child’s reaction times
c. skull circumference
d. EEG signals
16. The percentage of the population with Wechsler (WAIS) IQ scores above 115 is
a. about 30%
b. dependent mainly on the ages involved
c. about 16%
d. about 3 %
17. Performance on classroom tests in specific subject matters most probably reflects
a. fluid intelligence
b. crystallized intelligence
c. both fluid and crystallized intelligence
d. fluid intelligence and g
18. Tests of ____________ are more likely to involve ___________ than are tests of
____________.
a. fluid intelligence; motor skills; crystallized intelligence
b. novel or unfamiliar material; fluid intelligence; crystallized intelligence
c. perception; fluid intelligence; crystallized intelligence
d. mental self-government; g-related functions; s-related functions
Psychology 100 Spring 2003 Madigan
FORM A
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19. Studies of the relationship between aging and intelligence indicate that:
a. fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence both decline
b. crystallized intelligence remains fairly constant from adolescence to old age
c. fluid intelligence shows some decline starting at around age 30-40
d. fluid and crystallized intelligence remain fairly constant from adolescence to old age
20. According to g theory, what would you expect to find if you computed the correlation between
the Raven reasoning test and the vocabulary test that you took in discussion section for this class:
a. a moderate to large positive correlation
b. a small (< =.10) correlation
c. a positive correlation for males, no correlation for females
d. a correlation of about zero between the visual and the verbal test
21. “The ability to perceive relationships independent of previous specific practice or instruction
concerning those relationships”: This is the definition of _________ proposed by ________ .
a. fluid intelligence; Cattell
b. academic intelligence; Binet
c. specific ability; Spearman
d. talent; Galton
22. Which WAIS subtest is most likely to measure g or fluid intelligence:
a. vocabulary
b. information
c. block design
d. object assembly
23. Recent research suggests that scores of tests of working memory are:
a. not very well correlated with intelligence or aptitude test scores
b. related to other kinds of memory tests but not to general mental ability
c. closely related to fluid intelligence
d. related to mental functioning only for brain-damaged persons
24. Brain imaging studies have shown that:
a. number of cortical neurons is positively correlated with intelligence
b. amount of activity in frontal lobes during mental tasks is related to intelligence
c. size of frontal lobes is related to intelligence
d. all of the above
25. Alfred Binet believed his IQ test should be used to:
a. identify people who have superior intelligence compared with the population at large.
b. identify potential geniuses in the school population.
c. answer the nature-nurture question.
d. identify children who were not getting as much out of school as they should.
Psychology 100 Spring 2003 Madigan
FORM A
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26. In the formula IQ = (MA/CA x 100, MA refers to:
a. minimum aptitude.
b. mental arousal.
c. mean aptitude.
d. mental age.
27. If an IQ test is valid, it should:
a. produce approximately the same score each time a person takes it, under a variety of conditions.
b. correlate strongly with other accepted measures of a person's intelligence.
c. be sensitive to changes in a person's circumstances and frame of mind.
d. clearly distinguish among separate mental abilities.
28. Spearman's basis for inferring the existence of g was:
a. the high correlation between scores on IQ tests administered to the same individuals at different
ages.
b. the positive correlation among scores on all the mental tests in the battery he
administered.
c. the fact that the scores on mental tests in the battery he administered did not correlate perfectly.
d. his intensive study of retarded savants and other people with special talents.
29. Which of the following peaks latest in life?
a. crystallized intelligence
b. fluid intelligence
c. mental speed
d. the capacity of working memory
30. In his studies of changes over time in IQ-related test, James Flynn has found that:
a. IQ tests for previous generations are easier than today’s versions
b. test scores that are supposed to measure g have increased steadily
c. test of crystallized intelligence have not shown large increases
d. all of the above
31. According to your text, which of the following is a reasonable nature-nurture question to ask
when considering IQ differences among individuals?
a. Is my intelligence due more to genes or to environment?
b. Which is more important in determining intelligence differences among individuals, genes, or
environment?
c. Are differences in this trait among individuals in a certain population due more to
differences in their genes or differences in their environments?
d. All of the above are reasonable questions to ask about nature-nurture.
Psychology 100 Spring 2003 Madigan
FORM A
p. 6
32. Suppose we measure characteristic X in siblings reared together and find a .11 correlation for
adopted siblings who are biologically unrelated, compared with a .56 correlation for fraternal twins
and a 0.93 correlation for identical twins. This suggests that:
a. environment contributes comparatively little to variation in characteristic X.
b. heredity contributes little or nothing to variation in characteristic X.
c. environment contributes greatly to variation in characteristic X, but only for twins.
d. both heredity and environment contribute substantially to variation in characteristic X.
33. Suppose that for characteristic Z, identical twins reared apart are more alike than fraternal
twins reared together. This suggests:
a. that there is a strong genetic component for characteristic Z.
b. that there is no genetic component for characteristic Z.
c. that there is a strong environmental component for characteristic Z.
d. nothing about the heritability or environmentality of characteristic Z.
34. On the basis of combined results of many twin studies, researchers now believe that the
heritability (%) of IQ is roughly in the range:
a. 0 to 100
b. 10 to 40
c. 50 to 80
d. 90 to 100
35. As non-twin siblings raised together grow from children into adults and move away from
home, which of the following best describes the correlation between their IQs?
a. The correlation grows stronger.
b. The correlation grows weaker.
c. The correlation stays the same.
d. There is no correlation to begin with.
36. The relatively high estimate of IQ heritability implies that:
a. IQ scores cannot be changed by environmental influences
b. IQ scores must be controlled by a single gene
c. group differences in IQ score are due to genetic differences
d. none of the above
Personality
37. Personality traits are usually conceived of as being:
a. relatively stable over time
b. continuous characteristics rather than discrete categories
c. descriptive labels rather than explanations
d. all of the above
Psychology 100 Spring 2003 Madigan
FORM A
p. 7
38. If you take a personality assessment test and you scores are summarized in terms of 3 factors,
you probably took:
a. Eysenck’s personality inventory
b. the MMPI
c. a projective test
d. none of the above
39. Personality changes between ages 20 and 30 seem to show:
a. increase in agreeableness
b. decreased extraversion
c. increased conscientiousness
d. all of the above
40. The test-retest reliability of modern personality inventories is about _____________; the
validity coefficients are ____________.
a. .30; less than .30
b. .65; significantly less than .5
c. .90; .about 65
d. .50; .50
41. Which of the following relationships between early childhood traits and behavior in young
adulthood have been found:
a. low self-control at age 3; young adult criminal behavior
b. early social inhibition; still living at home in young adulthood
c. early social inhibition; social avoidance in young adulthood
d. all of the above
42. Social learning theorists argue that trait theories of personality are deficient because:
a. trait theories completely ignore experience as a cause of traits
b. trait theories do not deal with the biological bases of traits
c. at least some traits display a great deal of situational specificity
d. the structure of traits appears to be very different in different cultures and ethnicities
43. Which of the following is not one of the Big Five factors of personality:
a. neuroticism-stability
b. conscientiousness-undirectedness
c. extroversion-introversion
d. aggression-passivity
44. There seem to be variable “personality traits” among non-human and non-mammalian species.
The text suggests that this occurs:
a. because it promotes species survival in varying environments and varying selection forces
b. mainly because of human intervention and selective breeding
c. largely because of conditioning and shaping experiences
d. because people like to attribute human characteristics to animals
Psychology 100 Spring 2003 Madigan
FORM A
p. 8
45. Which of the following is an example of the evocative child-environment interaction or
correlation:
a. a shy child is bookish and socially avoidant
b. an attractive child elicits interest and support from adults
c. an extroverted child seeks out the company of similar children
d. none of the above
46. From some of Frank's behaviors we infer that he is talkative; from others, that he is outgoing;
and from still others, that he is easygoing. From these inferences, we reach the more general
conclusion that Frank is sociable. According to the trait approach, “talkative” “outgoing” and
“easygoing” would be ______ traits, and “sociable” would be a _______ trait.
a. central; behavioral
b. central; surface
c. surface; central
d. behavioral; surface
47. Which of the following is a dimension of personality shared by the Big-Five theory and
Eysenck's trait theory?
a. shrewdness-naiveté
b. neuroticism-stability
c. agreeableness-antagonism
d. conscientiousness-undirectedness
48. What aspect of a individual’s friend's personality might you reasonably expect to change from
20 to 35, and in which direction would the change most likely have gone?
a. neuroticism would have probably increased
b. extroversion would probably have increased
c. conscientiousness would have probably increased
d. agreeableness would have probably decreased
49. Some theorists have suggested that personality differences are most clearly revealed when
people are:
a. in familiar settings and roles, where the learned, socially agreed-upon behavioral norms free
them to act in accordance with their personality.
b. at home, in their family life, where they can act and feel as they please.
c. in well-defined settings with clear rules of behavior, where leaders will lead and followers will
follow.
d. in novel, ambiguous, stressful situations and in life transitions, where there are no or few
cues as to what are appropriate actions.
50. Eysenck believed that introversion-extroversion, is a trait determined by:
a. environmental influences.
b. unconscious processes.
c. physiological characteristics of the central nervous system.
d. expectancies about personal ability and control of rewards.
Psychology 100 Spring 2003 Madigan
FORM A
p. 9
51. Both twin studies and adoption studies have shown that, on average, being raised in the same
family has a(n):
a. almost negligible effect on most measures of personality.
b. highly significant effect on most measures of personality.
c. significant effect on some measures of personality but not on those thought to have a
physiological basis, such as extroversion-introversion.
d. significant effect on some measures of personality but only for people who are also biologically
related.
52. Studies of identical twins, whether raised together or apart, have led to an average heritability
estimate of ______ for most personality traits, including all of the Big Five.
a. 0.20 to 0.30
b. 0.40 to 0.50
c. 0.70 to 0.80
d. 0.90 to 1.00
53. Researchers gave personality tests to twins separated in infancy and raised apart, as well as
twins raised in the same home. They found that:
a. whether they were raised together or apart, the identical twins showed more similarity to
one another than did the fraternal twins.
b. the identical twins raised apart showed less similarity to one another than did the fraternal twins
raised together.
c. the identical twins showed more similarity to one another than did fraternal twins when raised
together but not when raised apart.
d. none of the twins showed more similarity to one another than other studies have found among
nontwin siblings.
54. Freud hypothesized that the artist Leonardo Da Vinci painted many Madonna pictures as a
manifestation of:
a. sublimation of attachment to his mother
b. a reaction-formation based on his dislike of his mother
c. a projection of hostile impulses
d. his liking for her music videos
55. Which idea of Freud’s seems to be of greatest scientific validity and usefulness:
a. the importance of early sexual experience
b. repression
c. unconscious conflict and anxiety
d. the localization of the Id in the amygdale
Psychology 100 Spring 2003 Madigan
FORM A
p. 10
56. According to psychodynamic theories, what characteristics of the mind underlie personality
differences?
a. habits of thought and beliefs that are acquired through experiences
b. belief systems and meaningful stories that govern people's lives
c. unconscious motives and the ways people defend themselves from anxiety
d. relatively stable, biologically based predispositions to behave in certain ways
57. According to psychodynamic theories, the unconscious mind disguises the true causes and
meanings of behavior in order to:
a. save the conscious mind from feeling too much disappointment if the goals of behavior are not
achieved.
b. protect the conscious mind from knowledge that would threaten self-esteem and lead to
anxiety.
c. trick the conscious mind into carrying out its wishes without further delay from rationalization.
d. spare the conscious mind the processing effort that would be necessary to deal with such
extreme complication.
58. Self-deceptions used to reduce anxiety that would come from awareness of our own
unconscious wishes, memories, and thoughts are called:
a. psychodynamic adaptations.
b. hypnotic defenses.
c. defense mechanisms.
d. rationalizations.
59. Freud's term for the process by which the mind keeps anxiety-provoking wishes or memories
out of consciousness is:
a. sublimation.
b. repression.
c. displacement.
d. reaction formation.
60. Compared, to the original theory, “Neo-Freudian” theories put more emphasis on:
a. conscious experience
b. the normal process of adjustment and development
c. social influence
d. all of the above