NAME:____________________________

Exam 3

Psychology 100: Spring 2001

1. Which of the following statements is most consistent with Harris’ theory?

(a) corporal punishment makes children more aggressive

(b) corporal punishment does not make children more aggressive

(c) corporal punishment has different effects on different kids

(d) corporal punishment demoralizes children

2. According to behavior genetic models, personality variation can be partitioned in the following ways:

(a) genetic factors 45%, shared environmental factors (45%), nonshared environmental factors (10%)

(b) genetic factors 45%, shared environmental factors (10%), nonshared environmental factors (45%)

(c) genetic factors 10%, shared environmental factors (45%), nonshared environmental factors (45%)

(d) genetic factors 10%, shared environmental factors (45%), nonshared environmental factors (45%)

3. Monozygotic twins are very similar to one another, but only if they are reared in the same family.

(a) true

(b) false

4. Which of the following scenarios characterizes a child-driven effect?

(a) a parent neglects a child from a previous marriage, but is highly invested in a child from the current marriage

(b) a creative mother is more invested in the more creative of her two children whereas the less creative father is more invested in the less creative child

(c) one child is more fussy than another, hence the parent treats the fussy child differently than the less fussy child

5. Gene-environment correlations make it difficult to draw inferences about the causal relationship between parenting and child personality because

(a) correlations between parenting behavior and child personality may be due to shared genes rather than the causal effects of parenting on personality development

(b) parenting causes the genes and environments to be correlated

(c) the effects of genes become smaller over time, whereas the effects of parenting may become stronger

(d) the effect of the shared environment seems negligible

6. Research on personality traits reviewed in lecture suggests that

(a) the way people behave is very similar from one situation to the next

(b) some traits, such as extraversion, exhibit more cross-situational consistency than other traits, such as creativity

(c) an individual’s personality is primarily shaped in childhood

(d) people do not necessarily behave in the same way in different situations

7. According to Group Socialization Theory, assimilation _______ while differentiation ________.

(a) makes people associated with the “self” seem more alike; makes people associated with “other” seem more different from the self

(b) makes DZ siblings more alike; makes MZ siblings more alike

(c) makes DZ siblings more alike; makes MZ siblings different

(d) takes place when the “out group” is salient; takes place when the “in group” is salient

8. According to Loehlin’s (1997) research, twins who share lots of friends are more similar to one another than twins who share fewer friends. Does this effect differ between MZ and DZ twins?

(a) yes

(b) no

9. If we had a situation in which (1) genetic factors caused some kids to be more aggressive than others, (2) aggressive kids were punished more than less aggressive kids, and (3) being punished caused kids to become more aggressive, the effect of punishment would end up being attributed to which source of variance in a behavior genetic model?

(a) genetic

(b) shared environmental

(c) nonshared environmental

10. Experimental studies on parenting reviewed in lecture show

(a) that, consistent with Harris’ theory, differences in parenting have no effects on the way children behave

(b) differences in parenting can have effects on the way children behave, but only when there is a match between the personality of the child and the personality of the adult

(c) that differences in parenting can have effects on the way children behave

Essay Question 1

In light of everything we’ve discussed recently, do you think parents matter in shaping personality development? If you think they do matter, please explain why. If you think they don’t matter, please explain why.

Please support your arguments with research discussed in the lectures or in the readings. In other words, do not draw on your personal experiences or opinions as support for your argument.

Essay Question 2

Recall that Straus argued that corporal punishment causes kids to become more aggressive, abusive, and depressed. Try to reconceptualize the relationship between punishment and outcome (e.g., aggressiveness) in light of Harris’ theory. In other words, explain why there may be a correlation between having been corporally punished as a child and aggression and depression as an adult without assuming that one factor causes the other. (Be sure to include the possible role of genes and peers in your answer, and cite research reviewed in class or in your readings wherever appropriate.)