Chapter 3: nature nurture Flashcards
What is the difference between precocial and altricial species? Why is there a distinction?
Precocial: young can survive from birth
Altricial: helpless young
It’s a result of evolutionary pressures. Precocial kids can survive with little parental input, whereas altricial kids need a lot of time to develop
What is the difference between nativism and empiricism?
Nativism = many skills are native as a result of genetics
Empiricism = blank slate with core knowledge, but all other knowledge is a result of learning and experience
What is cognition?
Mental activity, such as attention, memory, problem-solving, thinking and intelligence
What is the difference between mental age and chronological age? What’s the case for a bright child?
Mental age = level of mental abilities compared to others
Chronological = actual age
MA > CA –> bright kid
Why have IQ tests been standardized over the years and what is standardizing?
Because of the flynn effect, where IQ scores increase from generation to generation.
Standardizing has been done on a representative sample of the population with mean IQ 100
Why was the first IQ test developed and who did this?
Binet: for children in special education
What is general intelligence (g)?
The idea that intelligence is one single ability
What are the 2 main subscales of questions in an IQ test?
- Verbal: comprehension, digits, grouping
- Performance: block design, copying
What are the two most used IQ tests?
Wechsler and Stanford-Binet
What is the definition of heritability?
Statistical measure that describes how much of variation of a trait is due to genetic differences rather than environmental differences
What happens with the heritability if the environment is fairly uniform?
H is higher
What is genetic determinism? What is environmentalism?
Hypothesis that people become who they are as a consequence of their genetic inheritance
Hypothesis that people become who they are because of learning/experiences in life
Why are Jensen’s arguments controversial?
Jensen argued that differences in IQ between black and white children were largely genetically determined
You can’t make this claim, because you don’t know how genetics influence IQ test scores and there would be environmental input as well
What is familial resemblance?
Genetic relationship is known for relatives (genetic relatedness)
What is an explanation of high heritability in monozygotic twins?
They share all of their genes and often also have similar environment (reared together, have te same clothes)
What is missing heritability?
Failure to find any of the genes associated with cognitive abilities
What is a phenotype?
The interaction of genotype and environment to create an individual’s physical appearance and behavior
What were Skeel’s findings concerning IQ?
Deprived upbringing can have serious effects on development, but these effects can be decreased by placement in good adoptive homes
What were the conclusions of a study in Romanian orphanages?
Extent of developmental recovery after poor upbringing is related to the age of adoption –> the earlier the better
What is environmental drift?
Changes in developmental functions that result from and are in the direction of changing environments
What is the Raven’s Progressive Matrices test and when is it used?
It’s a non-verbal IQ test
Used for different cultures, because it is independent of cultural/linguistic environment
How is the Flynn effect evolving in different countries?
The effect is reducing in western countries, but rises in developing countries (e.g. China)
What is the difference between absolute and relative poverty?
Absolute = limited access to basic needs (water, food)
Relative = compared to the rest of the population (earn 60% less than median income e.g.)
What is the influence of malnutrition on brainstructure?
Different structure in frontal-temporal lobes and hippocampus
What are two attempts for additional resources for people in poverty in US and UK? What are their main effort?
US: Head start
- cognitive gains lasting time depends on whether teachers/parents respond to changes in children’s development
UK: Sure start
- educating parents for giving children the best start in life and reducing problem behavior
What are the 5 steps of natural selection?
- Variation: individuals differ
- Struggle: more individuals than resources
- Heritability: offspring resembles parents
- Adaptations: features that will help survival + reproduction
- Some individuals are better adapted to environment and pass on their genes –> natural selection
How many chromosomes does a human have?
46
What is the link between MAOA, maltreatment and antisocial behavior?
Low MAOA activity + maltreatment –> antisocial behavior
What is the difference between dandelion and orchid kids?
Dandelion: stable underwhatever circumstances
Orchids: vulnerable under negative conditions, excel under positive conditions
What is epigenetics? What is the epigenetic difference between younger and older monozygotic twins?
Changes in gene expression that are relatively stable during cell division (methylation)
The changes are independent of the genetic code itself
Young: similar epigenetics
Older: different epigenetics
