Nature vs. Nurture

Question 1

Within the tradition of learning theory, if you believe that your destiny is influenced by your biology/genes…

Answer 1

• No free will
• No equality
• Eugenics

Question 2

What are instincts?

Answer 2

Biological; influences on behavior

Question 3

Two aspects of instincts are…

Answer 3

1) They are unlearned, fixed patterns of behavior

2) Motivational tendency

Question 4

Which model did Thompson come up with? When did he come up with it?

Answer 4

He conducted a genetic study of rats in 1954. He selectively chose a group of slow-learning rats and a group of fast-learning rats, and then created a maze. The model showed that children of the slow rats were slower than their ancestors, while children of the fast rats were faster than their ancestors. As generations passed, the offspring either became faster and faster, or slower and slower (depending on their ancestry).

Question 5

What kind of siblings did psychologists study?

Answer 5

Monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins

Question 6

What is a concordance rate?

Answer 6

How much overlap there is between Twin A and Twin B in the questionnaire the psychologist provides

Ex: how much aggression each twin exhibits, the kind of environment they grew up in, etc.

Question 7

If genes are important in monozygotic twins, there is a _____ concordance rate.

Answer 7

Higher

Ex: if parents have bad eyesight, both twins are likely to wear glasses. if both wear glasses = high concordance rate

Question 8

If genes are important in dizygotic twins, there is a _____ concordance rate.

Answer 8

Lower

Ex: if parents have bad eyesight, one twin may be more likely to wear glasses than the other. if one wears glasses = low concordance rate

Question 9

If environment is important in monozygotic twins, there is a ____ concordance rate.

Answer 9

An equal concordance rate with dizygotic twins.

Question 10

Some traits to watch out for in twin studies are…

Answer 10

Emotionality
Activity level
Sociability
Impulsivity

Question 11

If MZ or DZ twins were separated at birth…

Answer 11

There is a genetic overlap, despite the fact they were raised in different environments

Question 12

For MZ or DZ twins who were separated at birth and raised in different households (Household A and Household B): if genes are important, then they have a _____ concordance rate.

Answer 12

High

Question 13

For MZ or DZ twins who were separated at birth and raised in different households (Household A and Household B): if environment is important, then they have a _____ concordance rate.

Answer 13

Low

Question 14

Which mental illnesses can have a large genetic influence on twins?

Answer 14

Schizophrenia
Bi-polar
Alcoholism

Question 15

Why is the U.S. against biological theory?

Answer 15

1. Tradition of learning

2. If you say that your personality is biologically composed: 1) no free will, no equality, eugenics

Question 16

Universal implies ____. If the behavior is the same for all people across the world, then it must come from ____.

Answer 16

Genetics; biology

Question 17

In Thompson’s study, by the sixth generation there were…

Answer 17

Big differences in speed between slow rats and fast rats

Question 18

Identical twins share ___% of the genes while fraternal twins share ___% of the genes.

Answer 18

100%; 50%

Question 19

What did Antonovosky say?

Answer 19

Ones who cope best are ones who could give a reason to what happened

Question 20

What is an example of an unconscious defense mechanism?

Answer 20

Two groups had surgery. One group was told of procedure, one wasn’t. The one that was told of procedure had high stress levels before the operation, but had low stress levels after.