Question 1

Assume that "friendliness" is a genetically influenced trait.Which of the following groups would you expect to be MOST similar on the trait of friendliness?

Accepted Answer

Identical twins are the most genetically similar individuals because they share 100% of their genes. Therefore, if friendliness is a genetically influenced trait, identical twins would be the most similar on this trait.

Question 2

Sigmund Freud is to _____ as Carl Rogers is to _____.

Accepted Answer

Sigmund Freud is known for his psychoanalytic approach, which focuses on the unconscious mind and the importance of childhood experiences. On the other hand, Carl Rogers is known for his humanistic approach, which emphasizes the individual's subjective experience, self-actualization, and personal growth. Therefore, the best choice is C, as it correctly pairs Freud with psychoanalytic and Rogers with humanistic.

Question 3

Brain imaging studies of the Big Five personality traits have found that _____ is associated with larger brain tissue volume in the medial or bitofrontal cortex, a brain region that is associated with sensitivity to rewarding stimuli.

Accepted Answer

Brain imaging studies have found that extraversion is associated with larger brain tissue volume in the medial or bitofrontal cortex, a brain region that is associated with sensitivity to rewarding stimuli. This suggests that individuals who score high in extraversion may have a heightened sensitivity to rewards and may be more likely to engage in rewarding behaviors.

Question 4

Psychologist Colin DeYoung and his colleagues had over 100male and female participants undergo MRI scans and also take the NEO Personality Inventory, a personality test that isused to measure the Big Five. The researchers then compared the brain scans and the personality test results. What was one of the results that they found?

Accepted Answer

The researchers found that extraversion was associated with larger brain tissue volume in the medial orbitofrontal cortex, a brain region that is associated with sensitivity to rewarding stimuli.

Question 5

Brain imaging studies of the Big Five personality traits have found that _____ is associated with greater volume in the fusiform gyrus, an area of the cortex specialized for perceiving faces.

Accepted Answer

Agreeableness is associated with greater volume in the fusiform gyrus, indicating a greater sensitivity to facial expressions and emotions. This may suggest that individuals high in agreeableness are more empathetic and attuned to others' emotions.

Question 6

Brain imaging studies of the Big Five personality traits have found that _____ is associated with a large region of the frontal cortex called the middle frontal gyrus, which is known to be involved in planning, working memory, and self-regulation.

Accepted Answer

Conscientiousness is associated with the middle frontal gyrus, which is responsible for planning, working memory, and self-regulation.

Question 7

Daniel was adopted at birth. In a behavioral genetics study,similarities between Daniel and his adoptive parents are considered to be due to _____, and similarities between Daniel and his biological parents are considered to be due to _____.

Accepted Answer

Daniel's similarities with his adoptive parents are due to environmental influences, such as shared experiences and upbringing. His similarities with his biological parents are due to genetic influences, such as inheriting certain traits and predispositions.

Question 8

The Focus on Neuroscience box, "The Neuroscience of Personality: Brain Structure and the Big Five," described anMRI study that investigated whether personality traits are associated with differences in brain structure. Researchers found that _____ was associated with larger brain tissue volume in a brain region associated with sensitivity to rewarding stimuli, and _____ was associated with increased volume in a brain region associated with understanding the beliefs of others.

Accepted Answer

The study found that extraversion was associated with larger brain tissue volume in a brain region associated with sensitivity to rewarding stimuli, and agreeableness was associated with increased volume in a brain region associated with understanding the beliefs of others.

Question 9

Psychologist Colin DeYoung and his colleagues had over 100male and female participants undergo MRI scans and alsotake the NEO Personality Inventory, a personality test that isused to measure the Big Five. The researchers then compared the brain scans and the personality test results. What was oneof the results that they found?

Accepted Answer

Agreeableness was found to be associated with increased volume in the posterior cingulate cortex, which is a brain region involved in understanding the beliefs of others.

Question 10

The pattern of brain structure differences found in brain imaging studies of the Big Five personality traits have led researchers to conclude that _____ is related to structural differences in brain systems related to sensitivity to threat and punishment.

Accepted Answer

Neuroticism is related to structural differences in brain systems related to sensitivity to threat and punishment.

Question 11

Brain imaging studies of the Big Five personality traits have found that _____ is associated with increased volume in the posterior cingulate cortex, a brain region associated with understanding the beliefs of others.

Accepted Answer

Brain imaging studies have found that agreeableness is associated with increased volume in the posterior cingulate cortex, a brain region associated with understanding the beliefs of others. This suggests that individuals high in agreeableness may have a greater capacity for empathy and understanding others' perspectives.

Question 12

People who score high on neuroticism show _____ brain activation in response to negative images than people who score low on neuroticism.

Accepted Answer

Neuroticism is associated with increased sensitivity to negative emotions and stimuli. Therefore, people who score high on neuroticism would show higher brain activation in response to negative images than those who score low on neuroticism.

Question 13

Brain-imaging studies showed that people who were high inextraversion showed _____ brain activation in response to positive images relative to people who were low inextraversion.

Accepted Answer

Brain-imaging studies have consistently shown that individuals with high levels of extraversion display heightened activation levels in response to positive stimuli. Specifically, they exhibit greater activity in areas associated with reward processing such as the ventral striatum and medial orbitofrontal cortex. In contrast, individuals with low levels of extraversion display lower levels of activation in these same brain regions.

Question 14

Brain imaging studies of the Big Five personality traits have found that higher levels of _____ are associated with reduced volume in one area of the hippocampus, a finding that has also been found in stress and depression.

Accepted Answer

Neuroticism has been found to be associated with reduced volume in one area of the hippocampus, which is also a finding in stress and depression. This area of the brain is responsible for memory and spatial navigation, and reductions in its size have been linked to emotional and cognitive difficulties.

Question 15

An emergenic trait is defined as a trait that:

Accepted Answer

An emergenic trait is the result of a unique configuration of many interacting genes, meaning that it is not solely determined by genetics or environment. It is the result of complex interactions between multiple genes and their environments, making it a complex trait that is difficult to predict or measure with traditional personality tests.

Question 16

The Focus on Neuroscience box, "The Neuroscience of Personality: Brain Structure and the Big Five," described anMRI study that investigated whether personality traits are associated with differences in brain structure. What was a major conclusion of this study?

Accepted Answer

Preliminary findings suggest that there are biological influences on personality; however, the findings are correlational. This means that while there is an association between brain structure and personality traits, causation cannot be established.

Question 17

The data that provide evidence for the genetic influence on personality traits:

Accepted Answer

While there is evidence for genetic influence on personality traits, research has also shown the importance of environmental factors in shaping personality. It is a combination of genetic and environmental influences that contribute to an individual's personality traits.

Question 18

Psychologist Colin DeYoung and his colleagues had over 100male and female participants undergo MRI scans and also take the NEO Personality Inventory, a personality test that isused to measure the Big Five. The researchers then compared the brain scans and the personality test results. What was one of the results that they found?

Accepted Answer

The researchers found that agreeableness was associated with greater volume in the fusiform gyrus, an area of the cortex specialized for perceiving faces.

Question 19

Higher levels of neuroticism have been associated with _____volume in one area of the hippocampus, a finding that has also been found in stress and depression. Another region, the mid-cingulate cortex, which is believed to be associated with pain sensitivity, was _____ in individuals with higher levels of neuroticism.

Accepted Answer

Higher levels of neuroticism have been associated with reduced volume in one area of the hippocampus, a finding that has also been found in stress and depression. Another region, the mid-cingulate cortex, which is believed to be associated with pain sensitivity, was larger in individuals with higher levels of neuroticism.

Question 20

In contrast to the other four traits, brain imaging studies ofthe Big Five personality traits have found no significant pattern of brain differences associated with:

Accepted Answer

Brain imaging studies have not found a significant pattern of brain differences associated with openness to experience.

Quiz 11: Social Psychology