9.3 genetic and environmental influences on intelligence

Question 1

IQ scores are most similar for

Answer 1

• identical twins that are identical over fraternal
• identical twins raised apart have a more similar iq score than fraternal twins raised together
• biological siblings raised together is higher than adopted siblings raised together

Question 2

heritability

Answer 2

of IQ scores is bw 40 and 80%
-that means, for any given sample of individuals, about 40-80% of differences in IQ scores originate from genetic differences

Question 3

the contribution of genetic differences depends on the sample of individuals

Answer 3

heritability of IQ scores for a sample of wealthy ppl is > 70%
heritability of IQ scores for a sample of ppl living in poverty is about 10%

Question 4

environmental influences

Answer 4

environmental influences will tend to be the dominate influence on any trait whenever there is variation in the environments that host our development

Question 5

behavioural genomics

Answer 5

have revealed a group of genes that each seem to make a small contribution to our mental abilities

Question 6

gene knockout (KO) studies

Answer 6

have identified a number of genes related to cognitive abilities in mice
-animals have a gene removed and then compared to animals that did not have that gene removed

Question 7

transgenic studies

Answer 7

(the insertion of genetic material into animals)

have revealed genes that provide mice with cognitive benefits

Question 8

environmental influences on IQ scores

Answer 8

many studies of humans and other animals have established a positive link bw mental abilities/brain complexity and the quality of physical and mental stimulation during early stages of development
-rats raised in active and stimulating environments end up with bigger brains that have more synapses

Question 9

birth order and IQ scores

Answer 9

the 1st born child in a family tends to have statistically higher IQ scores than the 2nd born or 3rd born child
-maybe its bc older siblings often have some responsibility for taking care of their younger siblings and teaching them about things

Question 10

socioeconomic status and IQ scores

Answer 10

children from wealthier families tend to have higher IQ scores than children from poorer families

Question 11

socioeconomic factors related to cognitive development

Answer 11

by age 3, children of professional parents have been exposed to 30 million words, whereas children of working class parents have only exposed to 20 million words

Question 12

a family’s wealth is positively correlated with:

Answer 12

the # of books, magazines and newspapers they own their access to computers
and the opportunities they provide for exploring the world outside of the home

Question 13

a family’s degree of poverty is positively correlated with:

Answer 13

lower quality health care/nutrition degree of exposure to toxins stress and conflict inside the home

Question 14

there is a known association between the quality of a person’s or animals diet and

Answer 14

their cognitive development

Question 15

multiple sources of stress

Answer 15

tend to be more prevalent for poorer families
poorer neighbourhoods tend to be noisier, closer to sources of pollution and toxins, and have much higher violent crime rate and have greater difficulty finding adequate jobs for meeting expenses
financial stress in households causes more conflict among family members

Question 16

stress directly impairs mental development and functioning

Answer 16

• stress elevates cortisol levels, which impairs cognitive functioning
• stress impairs memory functions at the neurological level
• stress robs mental resources that are essential for acquiring knowledge and skills in school

Question 17

where does the blame lie for failing to achieve wealth and success ?

Answer 17

easier to blame ppl for their failures than to blame the society that sets some ppl up to for failure and others up for success
wealth is something ppl tend to inherit along with their genes

Question 18

some ways for enhancing ones cognitive functioning

Answer 18

the N-back task

nootropic substances

Question 19

the n-back task

Answer 19

the correct response would be to press a button in response to the red-circled display, indicating that the filled in square matches the one two trials ago (the blue circles display)
-evidences suggests that extensive practice on this task provides a boost to peoples IQ scores

Question 20

nootropic substances

Answer 20

chemicals that are believed to improve cognitive functioning, either indirectly, by boosting alertness and energy levels, through their impact on neurotransmitter levels, or by stimulating the formation of neural connections

Question 21

Methylphenidate (or ritalin)

Answer 21

inhibits reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine

Question 22

modafinil (or provigil)

Answer 22

inhibits reuptake of dopamine

Question 23

making use of nootropic substances

Answer 23

is not great, since their use often comes with side effects and risks developing a drug dependence

Question 24

mindfulness meditation

Answer 24

great for your brain

insulates ppl from brain from the loss of grave brain matter that is commonly associated with aging

Question 25

the flynn effect

Answer 25

our IQ scores now are much greater than the generation before us
some good news about life in the information age

Question 26

A genetic influence on IQ scores?

Answer 26

twin studies
adoption studies
family studies