UNIT 2: Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity

Question 1

• Study of the evolution of mind and behavior based on principles of adaptation
• Made popular by the work of Charles Darwin

Answer 1

Evolutionary Psychology

Question 2

• An organism or species becomes better suited for life in its environment

Answer 2

Adaptation

Question 2

• Random errors in gene replication lead to changes to change species

Answer 2

Genetic mutations

Question 3

• Study differences and weigh the relative effects of heredity and environment

Answer 3

Behavior Genetics

Question 4

• Segments within DNA
• Determine out development
• Blueprints for the human body and how it grows

Answer 4

Genes

Question 5

• Turner syndrome
• Klindefelter’s syndrome
• Down syndrome

Answer 5

Chromosomal Abnormalities

Question 6

• Females born with only one X sex chromosome (XO)
• Short, lack ovaries, fail to develop secondary sexual characteristics

Answer 6

Turner syndrome

Question 7

• Males with XXY chromosomes
• Evident at puberty when male secondary sex characteristics fail to develop, but breast tissue does; passive males

Answer 7

Klinefelter’s syndrome

Question 8

• Three copies of Chromosome-21 present
• Intellectually disabled, poor muscle tone and coordination

Answer 8

Down syndrome

Question 9

• Complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism’s chromosomes

Answer 9

Genome

Question 10

• Genetic makeup for a trait of an individual
• The person’s specific genetic blueprint, which is determined by the total pattern of chromosomes inherited from each parent

Answer 10

Genotype

Question 11

• Expression of the genes
• Actual characteristics a person develops
• Genes predispose to a particular height but growing up in an impoverished country could cause them to be shorter

Answer 11

Phenotype

Question 12

• Tay-Sachs syndrome
• Albinism
• Phenylketonuria (PKU)
• Huntington’s disease

Answer 12

Recessive Gene Abnormalities

Question 13

• Processive loss of nervous function and death in baby

Answer 13

Tay-Sachs syndrome

Question 14

• Failure to store pigment in skin; depth vision damaged

Answer 14

Albinism

Question 15

• Brain damage UNLESS baby is fed special diet low in phenylalanine in first 30 days of birth

Answer 15

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Question 16

• Dominant gene defect, involves degeneration of the nervous system

Answer 16

Huntington’s Disease

Question 17

• Studying the effects of heredity and environment on two sets of twins, identical and fraternal, has come in handy

Answer 17

Twin Biology

Question 18

Studying the same variables for decades

Answer 18

Longitudinal case studies

Question 19

• Effects of shared and unique environments on total or partial genetic makeup

Answer 19

Behavior geneticists’

Question 20

• Heritability of personality traits is likely to be similar if twins live together or not

Answer 20

Separated twins

Question 21

• Conducted Minnesota Twin Study comparing the correlations of selected Characteristics for identical twins reared apart (MZA) or reared together (MZT)

Answer 21

Thomas J. Bouchard Jr.

Question 22

• Critics note that such similarities can be found between strangers
• Researchers point out that differences between fraternal twins are greater than identical twins

Answer 22

Separated Twins studies

Question 23

• Suggests that adoptees tend to be different from their adoptive parents and siblings
• The environment shared by a family’s children has virtually no discernable impact on their personalities

Answer 23

Adoption Studies

Question 24

• Identical twins express similar temperaments, suggesting hereditary predisposes temperament

Answer 24

Temperament Studies

Question 25

• Subfield of behavior genetics that seeks to identify specific genes that are influencing behavior
• EX: what genes put people at risk for autism, depression, schizophrenia, alcohol use disorder
• EX: China’s “missing women”

Answer 25

Molecular Genetics

Question 26

• Differences due to GENES
• A statistic used to determine how much of the variation among members of a group is attributable to genes
• Behaviors are not inherited, but genetic predispositions that may lead to the behavior may be

Answer 26

Heritability

Question 27

Some human traits are fixed, such as having two eyes. However, most psychological traits are liable to change with enviromental experience.

Answer 27

Nature & Nurture

Question 28

Genes can influence traits which affects responses, and environment can affect gene activity

Answer 28

Gene-Environment Interaction

Question 29

• The study of influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change
• Literally “in addition to genetics”
• Shows how our genetics and environment interact

Answer 29

Epigenetics