Chapter 3: Genes, Evolution, and Environment

Question 1

What is behavioural genetics?

Answer 1

an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with the genetic bases of individual differences in behaviour and personality

Question 2

What are genes?

Answer 2

functional units of heredity, they are composed of DNA and specify the structure of proteins.

Question 3

what are chromosomes?

Answer 3

within every cell, rod shaped structures that carry the genes

Question 4

What is DNA?

Answer 4

deoxyribonucleic acid, the chromosomal molecule that transfers genetic characteristics by way of coded instructions for the structure of proteins.

Question 5

What is a genome?

Answer 5

the full set of genes in each cell of an organism (with the exception of sperm and egg cells)

Question 6

What do linkage studies involve?

Answer 6

they take advantage of the tendency of genes lying close together on a chromosome to be inherited together across generations

Question 7

What is a genetic marker?

Answer 7

a segment of DNA that varies among individuals, has a known location on a chromosome, and can function as a genetic landmark for a gene involved in a physical or mental condition.

Question 8

What is evolution?

Answer 8

a change in gene frequencies within a population over many generations; a mechanism by which genetically influenced characteristics of a population may change.

Question 9

What is a mutation?

Answer 9

changes in genes, sometimes due to an error in the copying of the original DNA sequence during the division of cells that produce sperm and eggs.

Question 10

What is natural selection?

Answer 10

the evolutionary process in which the individuals with genetically influenced traits that are adaptive in a particular environment tend to survive and to reproduce in greater numbers than do other individuals; as a result, their traits become more common in the population.

Question 11

What are the two types of sexual selection?

Answer 11

1. ) Intersexual selection (female decides who mates with her)
2. )Intrasexual selection (men fight over who gets the woman)

Question 12

What are mental modules?

Answer 12

a collection of specialized and independent sections of the brain, developed to handle specific survival problems, such as the need to locate food or find a mate/

Question 13

WHat are some examples of innate human characteristics? (list 5)

Answer 13

1. ) Infant reflexes
2. ) An interest in novelty
3. ) A desire to explore and manipulate objects
4. )An impulse to play and fool around
5. ) Basic cognitive skills.

Question 14

What is language?

Answer 14

a system that combines meaningless elements such as sounds or gestures to form structured utterances that convey meaning.

Question 15

What is a language acquision device (LAD)?

Answer 15

according to many psycholinguists, an innate mental module that allows young children to develop language if they are exposed to an adequate sampling of conversation

Question 16

What are psycholinguists?

Answer 16

researchers who study the psychology of language)

Question 17

What are computer neural networks?

Answer 17

mathematical models of the brain that “learn” by adjusting the connection among hypothetical neurons in response to incoming data

Question 18

What is sociobiology?

Answer 18

an interdisciplinary field that emphasizes evolutionary explanations of social behaviour in animals, including human beings

Question 19

What is social Darwinism?

Answer 19

the notion that the wealthy and successful are more reproductively fit than other people.

Question 20

What is heritability?

Answer 20

a statistical estimate of the proportion of the total variance in some trait that is attributable to genetic differences among individuals within a group

Question 21

Heritability estimates do not apply to inidividuals, only to variations within a group.

Answer 21

You inherit half of your genes from your mother, half from your father, but your combo of genes has never been seen before, and will never be seen again unless you have an identical twin.

Question 22

What are identical (monozygotic) twins?

Answer 22

twins that develop when a fertilized egg divides into two parts that develop into separate embryos.

Question 23

What are fraternal (dizygotic) twins?

Answer 23

twins that develop from two separate eggs fertilized by different sperm, they are no more alike genetically than are any other pair of siblings.

Question 24

What is intelligence quoitient (IQ)?

Answer 24

a measure of intelligence originally computed by dividing a person’s mental age by his or her chronological age and multiplying it by 100; it is now derived from norms provided for standardized intelligence tests

Question 25

What are some influences associated with reduced mental ability? (4)

Answer 25

1. )poor prenatal care
2. ) Malnutrition
3. ) exposure to toxins
4. )stressful family circumstances

Question 26

What is epigenetics?

Answer 26

the study of changes in gene expression due to mechanisms other than structural changes in DNA

Question 27

What is nativism?

Answer 27

genetic determination, instinct, we are up to genetics, born with the characteristics, don’t have to learn them.

Question 28

What is empiricism?

Answer 28

environmental determination, we are blank slates and learn everything, including intelligence and mannerisms.

Question 29

“heredity deals the cards, environment plays the hand”

Answer 29

YAY!

Question 30

What are some adaptive problems humans have evolved for?

Answer 30

1. )avoiding predators
2. ) eating the right food
3. ) attracting mates
4. ) forming alliances
5. ) “reading other people’s minds” (knowing if they’re honest, knowing your enemy)

Question 31

Not all human abilities evolved via natural selection, such as ________.

Answer 31

your ability to read

Question 32

What are 3 characteristics of evolved adaptations?

Answer 32

adaptive
heritable
universal

Question 33

What is mismatch theory?

Answer 33

we are evolved for a world that we don’t live in, brain isn’t made for the modern world, as our brains contain modules from the past,

Question 34

What has the idea of mismatch theory caused?

Answer 34

mental illness, obesity, anxiety (not dealt with 2 thousand years ago)

Question 35

What are the 3 major principles of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection?

Answer 35

1. ) heredity
2. ) variance
3. ) natural selection