Midterm 2

Question 1

What is heritability?

Answer 1

The total variation between individuals in a particular population due to genetic variation

Question 2

What are the 3 main considerations of heritability?

Answer 2

• A heritability coefficient is always specific to particular population at a particular time
• Heritability is a measure of variation
• A high heritability coefficient does not mean the trait is genetic

Question 3

What are the 3 laws of the genetics of complex traits?

Answer 3

•Intelligence has some genetic basis, but is not 100% determined by nature
• Intelligence is not 100% heritable bc of environment
• Intelligence may be caused by many genes of small effect (polygenic model)
- There is no one gene for intelligence

Question 4

What are interaction effects?

Answer 4

They quantify how genetic characteristics can change the influence of an environmental variable

Question 5

What is the human genome project?

Answer 5

Allows estimates of genetic influence on complex traits using genome-wide genotypes in large samples of unrelated individuals

Question 6

What is the genome-wide complex trait analysis (GCTA)?

Answer 6

allows much larger analysis than the typical twin studies

Question 7

What is the multiplier effect?

Answer 7

many small causes combine to make a change that is greater than their sum

Question 8

What is expectation threat?

Answer 8

Black do more poorly on high threat condition tests

Question 9

What is the active model of selective environments?

Answer 9

small genetic differences are magnified as children select, modify, and create environments correlated with their genetic propensities

Question 10

What is the range of reaction theory?

Answer 10

the theory that each person responds to the environment in a unique way based on his or her genetic makeup

Question 11

What is extrinsic success?

Answer 11

relatively objective and observable, typically consists of highly tangible outcomes

Question 12

What is intrinsic success?

Answer 12

individuals’ subjective appraisal of their success

Question 13

What is trait activation theory?

Answer 13

Different situations provide different opportunities for traits to express themselves

Question 14

What is psychotherapy?

Answer 14

a treatment - a set of interventions, usually based on a recognized set of theories and supported by clinical trials

Question 15

What abilities are girls boys better in, respectively?

Answer 15

Girls excel more on some verbal abilities and boys on some spatial abilities

Question 16

Which WAIS subtests are most affected by the Flynn effect?

Answer 16

similarities, block design, pictoral, vocabulary, raven matrices (highly)

Question 17

What are the correlations with C?

Answer 17

Correlated with:

• academic achievement
• success
• money

Question 18

What are the correlations with E?

Answer 18

Correlated with:

• intrinsic success (not consistent)
• positive emotionality
• extrinsic success

Question 19

What are the correlations with O?

Answer 19

Correlated with:

- earnings and career success (NEGATIVE)

Question 20

What are the correlations with A?

Answer 20

Correlated with:

• intrinsic success (modest)
• extrinsic success (NEGATIVE)

Question 21

What are the correlations with emotional stability?

Answer 21

Correlated with:

- intrinsic and extrinsic career success

Question 22

What traits are related to extrinsic career success?

Answer 22

Conscientiousness, core self evaluations, and proactivity

Question 23

What traits are related to intrinsic career success?

Answer 23

improved motivation and task performance