PSYCH 1FF3 MIDTERM UPDATED
ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Active Correlations - CORRECT ANSWER An individual's genotype influences the kinds of
environments that person seeks out. This correlation plays a larger role in development as an individual
begins to make more of their own decisions.
Example: A child with natural athletic ability may try out for sports teams and choose to play with friends
who also enjoy sports.
Allele - CORRECT ANSWER A single pair of genes, one inherited from each parent.
Example: An individual may have one allele for straight hair and one allele for curly hair.
Babbling Principle - CORRECT ANSWER An example of the canalization principle, all infants
babble the same speech sounds, regardless of which culture they are born into. Their external
environment will later shape this babbling to produce different languages.
Example: Korean infants will process both /ra/ and /la/ phonemes but lose this ability as they become
adults unless they are exposed to English.
Canalization Principle - CORRECT ANSWER According to this principle, the genotype restricts
the phenotype for a species to a small number of possible developmental outcomes.
Example: In the example of baby babbling, all infants babble the same sounds, regardless of what culture
they are born into.
Cell Division - CORRECT ANSWER The process by which a cell reproduces, known as mitosis
for autosomal cells and meiosis for sex cells.
In mitosis, the resulting daughter cells will have 46 chromosomes. In meiosis, the resulting daughter cells
will have 23 chromosomes.
Chromosome - CORRECT ANSWER A threadlike structure made up of deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA) and consisting of many genes. A single human cell contains 46 chromosomes, 23 from each
parent.
,Co-Dominance - CORRECT ANSWER Two dominant alleles are both fully and equally expressed
to produce a phenotype that is an intermediate of the two alleles.
Example: Crossing a white flower with a red flower will produce a flower that has both white and red
petals
Competence-Performance Distinction - CORRECT ANSWER The fact that an individual may fail a
task not because they lack those cognitive abilities, but because they are unable to demonstrate those
abilities.
Example: A preverbal infant may not be able verbalize which of two pictures she prefers, but this does not
mean she doesn't have a preference.
Critical Period - CORRECT ANSWER A window of time during development in which particular
environmental stimulation is necessary to see permanent changes in developmental abilities.
After this time, the same environmental stimulation will not have the same developmental benefit.
Example: A feral child who is raised for the first years of life without exposure to human language will
never fully acquire the ability to produce language, even if taught later in life.
Cross-Sectional Design - CORRECT ANSWER A developmental research design in which
different age groups are studied at the same point in time to observe age-related differences.
Example: To study age-related differences in the ability to discriminate between two speech sounds,
children between ages 2 and 10 are tested on their ability to discriminate between these two sounds.
Development - CORRECT ANSWER The changes and continuities that occur within an individual
between conception and death.
Dishabituate - CORRECT ANSWER An increase in responsiveness to a stimulus that is somehow
different from the habituated stimulus.
Example: If any infant is repeatedly shown a picture of a red ball, her interest in or response to the picture
will decrease. If she is presented a picture of a blue ball and shows increased interest and response, she
has dishabituated.
,Dizygotic Twins - CORRECT ANSWER Twins that result from two different sperm and ova and
start off as two different zygotes from conception. They are no more genetically similar than any two
biological siblings.
Dominant Allele - CORRECT ANSWER In a heterozygous condition, the dominant allele is
expressed in the phenotype over the recessive allele.
Example: If the allele for brown eyes is dominant over the allele for blue eyes, a heterozygous individual
will have brown eyes.
Event-Related Potentials - CORRECT ANSWER A method of measuring brain activity evoked by
the presentation of stimuli. An electrode cap is placed on an individual's scalp to measure electrical
activity across a population of neurons in the brain.
Example: If you presented an infant with a loud noise, you might expect an ERP in the temporal lobe
region, which is an area devoted to sound processing.
Evocative Correlations - CORRECT ANSWER In this correlation, traits that an individual has
inherited through genes influence how others in their environment behave towards that individual.
Example: A child who has a naturally happy disposition would cause other people to smile and be happy
around that child.
Experience-Dependent Growth - CORRECT ANSWER The unique way in which the brain
develops according to personal experiences. This type of brain growth is specific to each individual.
Example: A Braille reader will have a specialized area in their brain that responds to specified
somatosensory stimulation of the fingertips, which non-Braille readers will lack.
Experience-Expectant Growth - CORRECT ANSWER Brain growth that is dependent on a certain
amount of environmental input in order to develop properly.
Example: The brain relies on a certain, ordinary amount of visual input for the visual cortex to develop
properly.
Extreme Behaviourist Point of View - CORRECT ANSWER The view that nurture is all-important
in development and that development is largely independent of genetics.
, Example: The behaviourist Watson suggested that with proper environmental control and training, any
individual could become a doctor, musician or criminal, regardless of their genetics
Genes - CORRECT ANSWER Segments of DNA that provide the chemical code for development.
Genetic Point of View - CORRECT ANSWER The opposite extreme to the behaviourist point of
view, it is the view that who a person becomes is largely predetermined by genetics with little to no
environmental influence.
Example: In this view, a child with intelligent, successful parents will necessarily become intelligent and
successful.
Genotype - CORRECT ANSWER An individual's roughly 30,000 to 40,000 inherited genes.
Example: Brent has one recessive allele for blue eyes and one dominant allele for brown eyes at the eye
colour locus.
Habituate - CORRECT ANSWER A decrease in the responsiveness to a stimulus following its
repeated presentation.
Example: If an infant is presented a picture of a red ball, they will initially show interest. When repeatedly
shown the ball, the infant's response will decrease.
Habituation Procedure - CORRECT ANSWER A technique designed to determine whether an
infant can detect the difference between two stimuli.
Example: In determining if an infant can tell the difference between the sounds /ra/ and /la/, a researcher
would repeatedly present the /ra/ sound to the infant until they habituate. She will then present the /la/
sound. If the infant's response increases to /la/, it indicates that infant can discriminate between the two.
Heterozygous Condition - CORRECT ANSWER When two alleles at a locus are different, and the
dominant allele is expressed over the recessive allele.
Example: If the allele for brown eyes is dominant and the allele for blue eyes is recessive, the
heterozygous individual will have brown eyes.
ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Active Correlations - CORRECT ANSWER An individual's genotype influences the kinds of
environments that person seeks out. This correlation plays a larger role in development as an individual
begins to make more of their own decisions.
Example: A child with natural athletic ability may try out for sports teams and choose to play with friends
who also enjoy sports.
Allele - CORRECT ANSWER A single pair of genes, one inherited from each parent.
Example: An individual may have one allele for straight hair and one allele for curly hair.
Babbling Principle - CORRECT ANSWER An example of the canalization principle, all infants
babble the same speech sounds, regardless of which culture they are born into. Their external
environment will later shape this babbling to produce different languages.
Example: Korean infants will process both /ra/ and /la/ phonemes but lose this ability as they become
adults unless they are exposed to English.
Canalization Principle - CORRECT ANSWER According to this principle, the genotype restricts
the phenotype for a species to a small number of possible developmental outcomes.
Example: In the example of baby babbling, all infants babble the same sounds, regardless of what culture
they are born into.
Cell Division - CORRECT ANSWER The process by which a cell reproduces, known as mitosis
for autosomal cells and meiosis for sex cells.
In mitosis, the resulting daughter cells will have 46 chromosomes. In meiosis, the resulting daughter cells
will have 23 chromosomes.
Chromosome - CORRECT ANSWER A threadlike structure made up of deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA) and consisting of many genes. A single human cell contains 46 chromosomes, 23 from each
parent.
,Co-Dominance - CORRECT ANSWER Two dominant alleles are both fully and equally expressed
to produce a phenotype that is an intermediate of the two alleles.
Example: Crossing a white flower with a red flower will produce a flower that has both white and red
petals
Competence-Performance Distinction - CORRECT ANSWER The fact that an individual may fail a
task not because they lack those cognitive abilities, but because they are unable to demonstrate those
abilities.
Example: A preverbal infant may not be able verbalize which of two pictures she prefers, but this does not
mean she doesn't have a preference.
Critical Period - CORRECT ANSWER A window of time during development in which particular
environmental stimulation is necessary to see permanent changes in developmental abilities.
After this time, the same environmental stimulation will not have the same developmental benefit.
Example: A feral child who is raised for the first years of life without exposure to human language will
never fully acquire the ability to produce language, even if taught later in life.
Cross-Sectional Design - CORRECT ANSWER A developmental research design in which
different age groups are studied at the same point in time to observe age-related differences.
Example: To study age-related differences in the ability to discriminate between two speech sounds,
children between ages 2 and 10 are tested on their ability to discriminate between these two sounds.
Development - CORRECT ANSWER The changes and continuities that occur within an individual
between conception and death.
Dishabituate - CORRECT ANSWER An increase in responsiveness to a stimulus that is somehow
different from the habituated stimulus.
Example: If any infant is repeatedly shown a picture of a red ball, her interest in or response to the picture
will decrease. If she is presented a picture of a blue ball and shows increased interest and response, she
has dishabituated.
,Dizygotic Twins - CORRECT ANSWER Twins that result from two different sperm and ova and
start off as two different zygotes from conception. They are no more genetically similar than any two
biological siblings.
Dominant Allele - CORRECT ANSWER In a heterozygous condition, the dominant allele is
expressed in the phenotype over the recessive allele.
Example: If the allele for brown eyes is dominant over the allele for blue eyes, a heterozygous individual
will have brown eyes.
Event-Related Potentials - CORRECT ANSWER A method of measuring brain activity evoked by
the presentation of stimuli. An electrode cap is placed on an individual's scalp to measure electrical
activity across a population of neurons in the brain.
Example: If you presented an infant with a loud noise, you might expect an ERP in the temporal lobe
region, which is an area devoted to sound processing.
Evocative Correlations - CORRECT ANSWER In this correlation, traits that an individual has
inherited through genes influence how others in their environment behave towards that individual.
Example: A child who has a naturally happy disposition would cause other people to smile and be happy
around that child.
Experience-Dependent Growth - CORRECT ANSWER The unique way in which the brain
develops according to personal experiences. This type of brain growth is specific to each individual.
Example: A Braille reader will have a specialized area in their brain that responds to specified
somatosensory stimulation of the fingertips, which non-Braille readers will lack.
Experience-Expectant Growth - CORRECT ANSWER Brain growth that is dependent on a certain
amount of environmental input in order to develop properly.
Example: The brain relies on a certain, ordinary amount of visual input for the visual cortex to develop
properly.
Extreme Behaviourist Point of View - CORRECT ANSWER The view that nurture is all-important
in development and that development is largely independent of genetics.
, Example: The behaviourist Watson suggested that with proper environmental control and training, any
individual could become a doctor, musician or criminal, regardless of their genetics
Genes - CORRECT ANSWER Segments of DNA that provide the chemical code for development.
Genetic Point of View - CORRECT ANSWER The opposite extreme to the behaviourist point of
view, it is the view that who a person becomes is largely predetermined by genetics with little to no
environmental influence.
Example: In this view, a child with intelligent, successful parents will necessarily become intelligent and
successful.
Genotype - CORRECT ANSWER An individual's roughly 30,000 to 40,000 inherited genes.
Example: Brent has one recessive allele for blue eyes and one dominant allele for brown eyes at the eye
colour locus.
Habituate - CORRECT ANSWER A decrease in the responsiveness to a stimulus following its
repeated presentation.
Example: If an infant is presented a picture of a red ball, they will initially show interest. When repeatedly
shown the ball, the infant's response will decrease.
Habituation Procedure - CORRECT ANSWER A technique designed to determine whether an
infant can detect the difference between two stimuli.
Example: In determining if an infant can tell the difference between the sounds /ra/ and /la/, a researcher
would repeatedly present the /ra/ sound to the infant until they habituate. She will then present the /la/
sound. If the infant's response increases to /la/, it indicates that infant can discriminate between the two.
Heterozygous Condition - CORRECT ANSWER When two alleles at a locus are different, and the
dominant allele is expressed over the recessive allele.
Example: If the allele for brown eyes is dominant and the allele for blue eyes is recessive, the
heterozygous individual will have brown eyes.
