Behavioral Genetics & Development
Researchers compare identical twins raised in different homes to investigate how genes and environment influence behavior. What type of research technique is this?
twin study
An infant gains control of the head before gaining control of the legs. What developmental trend does this demonstrate?
cephalocaudal trend
On an essay exam, you must produce information without being given possible answers. What measure of memory are you using?
recall
Instead of cramming for six hours the night before an exam, you study for one hour on six different days. What memory phenomenon makes the second method more effective?
spacing effect
A dog naturally salivates when food is placed in its mouth. Before any learning occurs, what is the food?
unconditioned stimulus (US)
Two twins developed from the same fertilized egg and therefore share essentially the same genetic makeup. What type of twins are they?
monozygotic (MZ) twins
A baby watches a toy being hidden underneath a blanket and then searches for it, showing an understanding that it continues to exist. What ability has developed?
object permanence
Someone says something to you, and you ask “What?” but suddenly realize what they said before they repeat it. What sensory-memory system allowed the sound to linger briefly?
echoic memory
You remember information better when you return to the same room where you originally learned it. What retrieval phenomenon does this illustrate?
context-dependent retrieval
Every time you buckle your seat belt, the annoying warning sound stops. You become more likely to buckle your seat belt immediately in the future. What process increased your behavior?
negative reinforcement
Researchers test groups of 20-, 40-, 60-, and 80-year-olds during the same year rather than following the same people as they age. What research design are they using?
cross-sectional study
A young child assumes everyone else sees and experiences the world exactly as the child does. What Piagetian limitation is being demonstrated?
egocentrism
You remember a phone number by separating 8593234567 into 859-323-4567. What memory strategy are you using?
chunking
While studying the word “dog,” you think about what a dog is and connect it with everything you already know about dogs. Which level of processing are you using?
semantic processing
A slot machine pays out after an unpredictable number of plays, encouraging persistent gambling behavior. What reinforcement schedule does this use?
variable-ratio schedule
Stress, nutrition, or other experiences affect whether certain inherited genes are expressed without changing the underlying DNA sequence. What concept does this illustrate?
epigenetics
A child initially calls a zebra a “horse,” but after learning more, changes the existing mental category to distinguish horses from zebras. What process occurred when the child changed the schema?
accommodation
You clearly remember what happened at your birthday party last year. What type of long-term memory is this?
episodic memory
After learning your new password, you have trouble remembering your old password. What type of interference is occurring?
retroactive interference
A dog is rewarded first for approaching a hoop, then for touching it, and eventually only for jumping through it. What operant-conditioning technique is being used?
shaping
Researchers estimate how much of the variation in a characteristic within a population is associated with genetic differences. What concept are they calculating?
heritability
An adolescent is trying to determine who they are, what they believe, and what direction they want their life to take. According to Erikson, what psychosocial crisis are they facing?
identity vs. role confusion
While driving somewhere unfamiliar, you mentally picture the map and locations of upcoming turns. According to Baddeley, which working-memory component are you primarily using?
visuospatial sketchpad
Following a brain injury, a patient remembers events from years ago but cannot successfully form new long-lasting memories. What type of amnesia does this illustrate?
anterograde amnesia
A child sees an older sibling receive praise for cleaning their room and becomes more likely to clean their own room. What process explains the effect of watching the sibling receive the reward?
vicarious reinforcement