Q&A Hero

Q: __________ is a field devoted to uncovering the contributions of nature and nurture to the diversity in human traits and abilities. A) Epigenesis B) Behavioral genetics C) Environmental genetics D) Child development

Q: The Children's Defense Fund A) provides free legal services to low-income families of children with disabilities. B) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children in poverty in non-industrialized nations. C) releases The Policy Book every two years, providing an in-depth compilation of policies for children. D) engages in public education, legal action, drafting of legislation, congressional testimony, and community organizing.

Q: Senior citizens in the United States today are A) less likely than Canadian seniors to be poverty stricken. B) more likely than other age groups to be among the "near poor." C) more likely to be homeless than in the past. D) less likely to be healthy and independent than in the past.

Q: The minimum income guaranteed to Americans age 65 and older from Social Security is A) more generous than those in most other Western nations. B) increasing substantially every year. C) below the poverty line. D) just above the poverty line.

Q: Social Security and Medicare consume _____ percent of the U.S. federal budget for the elderly. A) 26 B) 51 C) 76 D) 96

Q: One reason that public policies safeguarding children are slow to emerge in the United States is because A) such government policies have failed in other Western countries. B) social programs are rarely cost-effective. C) children cannot vote or speak out to protect their own interests. D) the United States already ranks at the top on key measures of children's health and well-being.

Q: Approximately _____ percent of U.S. children have no health insurance. A) 2 B) 5 C) 7 D) 10

Q: Which of the following countries has the highest teenage birth rate? A) United States B) Slovakia C) Czech Republic D) Poland

Q: The United States A) has a higher infant death rate than Canada. B) provides national standards and funding for child care. C) spends more public funds on education than Sweden. D) now has a universal, publicly funded health-care system.

Q: Which of the following countries has a higher childhood poverty rate? A) Czech Republic B) Norway C) Canada D) Sweden

Q: The United States A) ranks lower than any other industrialized nation in infant deaths in the first year of life. B) does not rank well on any key measure of children's health and well-being. C) ranks lower than Canada in childhood poverty. D) ranks higher than any other industrialized nation in public expenditure on education.

Q: In the United States, public policies safeguarding __________ lag behind policies for __________. A) the elderly; children and youths B) children and youths; the elderly C) the elderly; extended families D) school-age children; preschool children

Q: When reports indicate that many children are not achieving well in school, the state government grants more tax money to school districts. This is an example of a(n) __________ policy. A) individualistic B) collectivist C) public D) socialistic

Q: The United States is strongly __________, whereas most Western European countries lean toward __________. A) collectivist; individualism B) individualistic; independence C) collectivist; interdependence D) individualistic; collectivism

Q: In collectivist societies, people A) think of themselves as separate entities. B) define themselves as part of a group. C) are largely concerned with their own personal needs. D) stress individual goals over group goals.

Q: Compared with nuclear-family households, extended-family arrangements A) produce higher levels of divorce and teenage pregnancy. B) place less emphasis on moral and religious values. C) produce more adolescents with antisocial behavior. D) place more emphasis on cooperation and on moral and religious values.

Q: Among African Americans, living within an extended family tends to produce A) higher levels of divorce and teenage pregnancy. B) improved child rearing and reduced stress. C) children with insecure attachments to multiple adults. D) more people on welfare and fewer family members with jobs.

Q: Which of the following statements about extended families in the United States is true? A) More white than black adults have relatives other than their own children living in the same household. B) More black than white adults have relatives other than their own children living in the same household. C) More black than white adults think of themselves as separate entities from their extended families. D) More white than black adults establish family-like relationships with friends and neighbors.

Q: In __________, people hold different beliefs and customs from those held by the larger culture. A) microsystems B) subcultures C) macrosystems D) collectivist societies

Q: One reason that the American people have been reluctant to accept the idea of publicly supported child care is that A) few mothers of very young children work outside the home. B) it is widely believed that child care is harmful to young children. C) most grandparents provide regular child care. D) American values emphasize independence and self-reliance.

Q: Compared to elders in large cities, elders in small towns are __________ likely to __________. A) more; move into planned housing for elders B) less; develop warm relationships with nonrelatives C) less; feel safe and secure D) more; remain actively involved in the community

Q: Compared to those in large urban areas, adults in small towns are __________ likely to __________. A) less; have contact with their children's teachers B) less; be actively involved in the community C) more; become victims of crime D) more; occupy positions of leadership

Q: Mr. and Mrs. Parsons feel that an important factor in promoting their children's academic success is frequent contact between teachers and parents. The Parsons would most likely find this offering in a(n) A) urban neighborhood. B) large urban area. C) mid-sized city. D) small town.

Q: Research on the effects of neighborhoods suggests that A) participation in neighborhood organizations does not impact school achievement. B) neighborhood resources have a greater impact on children than adults. C) neighborhoods affect the well-being of children and adults. D) neighborhoods are not important in late adulthood because most elders are homebound.

Q: Neighborhoods have a(n) __________ impact on economically disadvantaged than well-to-do young people. A) similar B) opposite C) more negative D) greater

Q: For both affluent and low-SES youths, what simple routine is associated with a reduction in adjustment difficulties? A) eating dinner with parents B) early bedtimes C) completing homework before dinner D) weekly family night

Q: In several studies, affluent teenagers were __________ likely than low-SES youths to __________. A) less; engage in alcohol and drug use B) more; report high levels of anxiety and depression C) less; self-medicate D) more; have physically and emotionally available parents

Q: Most homeless families consist of A) childless couples. B) single fathers with adolescent children. C) single mothers with adolescent children. D) women with children under age 5.

Q: Of all Western nations, __________ has the highest percentage of extremely poor children. A) the United States B) Canada C) Germany D) France

Q: In the United States, the poverty rate for single mothers with preschool children is nearly _____ percent. A) 25 B) 35 C) 40 D) 50

Q: Today, about _____ million Americans are affected by poverty. A) 6 B) 26 C) 46 D) 66

Q: Higher-SES parents tend to emphasize the importance of __________ for their children, whereas lower-SES parents tend to emphasize __________. A) external characteristics; intellectual abilities B) intellectual abilities; psychological traits C) external characteristics; psychological traits D) psychological traits; external characteristics

Q: Grandparents are an example of __________ that can promote children's development. A) unidirectional influences B) third parties C) niche-picking D) a macrosystem

Q: Amelia and Andrew praise and stimulate their children, and they mutually support each other's parenting behaviors. Amelia and Andrew engage in effective A) induction. B) permissive parenting. C) coparenting. D) niche-picking.

Q: When Erin and Brooke willingly comply, their parents are likely to be warm and gentle in the future. This is an example of a(n) __________ influence between parents and their children. A) direct B) coparenting C) maladaptive D) indirect

Q: Contemporary researchers view the family as a(n) A) exosystem. B) macrosystem. C) network of interdependent relationships. D) independent social system.

Q: Most adopted children A) have trouble developing feelings of trust and affection toward their adoptive parents. B) become well-adjusted adults. C) fare better if they are adopted after infancy. D) begin to search for their birth parents during early adolescence.

Q: Mr. and Mrs. Hale plan to have a baby. Physical and genetic examinations revealed healthy reproductive systems and no family history of genetic disease. What additional steps would you recommend they take to increase their chances of having a healthy baby? A) reducing or eliminating toxins under their control, taking prenatal vitamin"mineral supplements, and ensuring proper nutrition B) seeking gene therapy, genetic counseling, and genetic treatments C) reducing or eliminating toxins under their control and seeking gene therapy D) taking prenatal vitamin"mineral supplements, ensuring proper nutrition, and seeking gene therapy

Q: Gene therapy corrects genetic abnormalities by A) mapping the sequence of all human DNA base pairs. B) performing surgery to repair defects during the fetal period. C) delivering DNA carrying a functional gene to the cells. D) modifying gene-specified proteins involved in biological aging and disease.

Q: Except for __________, prenatal diagnosis should not be used routinely because these methods have some chance of injuring the developing organism. A) amniocentesis B) fetoscopy C) chorionic villus sampling D) maternal blood analysis

Q: To inspect Jasmine's fetus for defects of the limbs and face, as well as to allow a sample of fetal blood to be obtained, permitting diagnosis of hemophilia and sickle cell anemia, her doctor should use A) amniocentesis. B) chorionic villus sampling. C) ultrafast magnetic resonance imaging. D) fetoscopy.

Q: To detect developmental problems before birth, doctors use A) prenatal diagnostic methods. B) a family pedigree. C) gene therapy. D) carrier detectors.

Q: Hoda, an economically disadvantaged mother of four, is considering becoming a surrogate. What is one realistic concern that Hoda might have about surrogate motherhood? A) About 50 percent of surrogate procedures result in multiple births. B) The success rate of surrogacy is only about 25 percent. C) Knowledge that their mother would give away a baby might cause insecurities in Hoda's children. D) Surrogate motherhood has been banned in 11 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Q: Which of the following is an ethical concern regarding the use of reproductive technologies? A) The in vitro "sex sorter" method could lead to parental sex selection. B) Reproductive technologies cannot be used to overcome most male fertility problems. C) More than 75 percent of reproductive technologies result in multiple births. D) A lack of genetic ties often strains the parent"child relationship.

Q: Children conceived through in vitro fertilization A) may be genetically unrelated to both of their parents. B) tend to develop insecure attachments to their parents during infancy. C) cannot be born to postmenopausal women. D) tend to be less well-adjusted than their naturally conceived counterparts.

Q: With __________, a woman is given hormones that stimulate the ripening of several ova. These are removed surgically and placed in a dish of nutrients, to which sperm are added. A) donor insemination B) in vitro fertilization C) surrogacy D) genetic engineering

Q: Donor insemination A) is commonly used to overcome female reproductive difficulties. B) involves giving a woman hormones that stimulate the ripening of several ova. C) permits women without a male partner to become pregnant. D) is used to treat women whose fallopian tubes are permanently damaged.

Q: If a family history of mental retardation, psychological disorders, physical defects, or inherited diseases exists, a genetic counselor prepares a __________, which identifies affected relatives in a couple's family tree. A) pedigree B) carrier detector C) prenatal diagnosis D) genetic diagnosis

Q: Mr. and Mrs. Hopewell are concerned because they have been trying without success to have a baby for over a year. Which of the following procedures would you recommend to them? A) gene therapy B) genetic counseling C) genetic engineering D) fetal medicine

Q: The communication process of __________ can help couples assess their chances of giving birth to a baby with a hereditary disorder and choose the best course of action in view of risks and family goals. A) genetic engineering B) prenatal diagnosis C) preimplantation genetic diagnosis D) genetic counseling

Q: Research on sex chromosome disorders shows that A) males with XYY syndrome are more aggressive and antisocial than XY males. B) verbal difficulties are common among females who are missing an X chromosome. C) females who are missing an X chromosome often have trouble with spatial relationships. D) most children with these disorders suffer from mental retardation.

Q: The most common sex chromosome disorders involve A) aggressive and antisocial behavior, particularly in adolescent males. B) the presence of an extra chromosome (either X or Y) or the absence of one X in females. C) spontaneous miscarriage in the first or second trimester of pregnancy. D) mental retardation and severe physical deformities.

Q: The risk of bearing a child with Down syndrome rises dramatically with A) multiple births. B) maternal age. C) prenatal tobacco exposure. D) prenatal malnutrition.

Q: There was a failure of the twenty-first pair of chromosomes to separate during meiosis, so Aziz received three of these chromosomes rather than the normal two. Aziz has __________ syndrome. A) XYY B) Klinefelter C) Turner D) Down

Q: Most chromosomal defects result from A) X-linked disorders. B) mistakes occurring during mitosis. C) mistakes occurring during meiosis. D) recessive disorders.

Q: Characteristics that vary on a continuum among people, such as height, weight, or intelligence, are most likely determined by __________ inheritance. A) X-linked B) polygenic C) dominant"recessive D) paternal

Q: Gilles has had frequent and high exposure to radiation in his occupation for the past ten years. Gilles's offspring are at greater risk for __________ than children whose fathers were not exposed to radiation. A) cystic fibrosis B) childhood cancer C) PKU D) hemophilia

Q: Studies of mutation demonstrate that A) some mutations occur spontaneously, simply by chance. B) mutations are never desirable. C) females are more susceptible than males to harmful mutations. D) exposure to nonionizing forms of radiation, such as microwaves, can cause genetic damage.

Q: __________ is a sudden but permanent change in a segment in DNA that can lead to __________. A) Mutation; genetic abnormalities B) Meiosis; X-linked disorders C) Mitosis, fragile X syndrome D) Genomic imprinting; mutations

Q: In which of the following disorders does genomic imprinting operate on the sex chromosomes? A) fragile X syndrome B) Huntington disease C) sickle cell anemia D) Marfan syndrome

Q: Children with diabetes tend to have fathers, not mothers, with the illness. The pattern of inheritance is best explained by A) incomplete dominance. B) X-linked inheritance. C) genomic imprinting. D) genetic mutation.

Q: Studies of sex differences show that A) worldwide, approximately 106 girls are born for every 100 boys. B) the proportion of male births has declined in many industrialized countries in recent decades. C) rates of miscarriage, infant death, and childhood death are higher among females than males. D) rates of mental retardation, learning disabilities, and behavior disorders are higher among females than males.

Q: Eric is more likely than his sister to be negatively affected by X-linked disorders because A) males are more likely than females to inherit harmful recessive alleles. B) the Y chromosome is much longer than the X chromosome. C) the Y chromosome lacks many corresponding genes to override those carried on the X chromosome. D) his sex chromosomes match, which makes him more susceptible to disease.

Q: Carriers of the sickle cell gene A) often do not display symptoms until after they have passed the gene on to their children. B) can be treated during infancy if placed on a diet that is low in phenylalanine. C) are more resistant to malaria than are individuals with two alleles for normal red blood cells. D) develop sickle-shaped red blood cells that cause degeneration of the nervous systems.

Q: North Americans with sickle cell anemia have an average life expectancy of _____ years. A) 5 B) 25 C) 55 D) 75

Q: Which of the following is supported by research on dominant and recessive diseases? A) Children who inherit the dominant allele rarely develop the disorder. B) Males are more likely than females to inherit recessive disorders carried on the autosomes. C) Only rarely are serious diseases due to dominant alleles. D) The recessive allele has no effect on the individual's characteristics.

Q: Which of the following is a recessive characteristic? A) curly hair B) facial dimples C) red hair D) double-jointedness

Q: In dominant"recessive inheritance, the one allele that affects the child's characteristics is called A) dominant"recessive. B) dominant. C) recessive. D) a carrier.

Q: If the alleles from both parents __________, the child is __________. A) are alike; heterozygous B) differ; homozygous C) are alike; a carrier D) differ; heterozygous

Q: Candace and Cassidy, like all monozygotic twins, A) have the same genetic makeup. B) will develop more rapidly than children of single births. C) are no more alike than ordinary siblings. D) will be healthier than children of single births.

Q: A zygote that separates into two clusters of cells instead of just one produces A) identical twins. B) dizygotic twins. C) fraternal twins. D) triple X syndrome.

Q: Twins occur more often among __________ women than __________ women. A) white; black B) Asian; black C) tall; short D) younger; older

Q: Dizygotic twins A) have the same genetic makeup. B) develop more rapidly than children of single births. C) are no more alike than ordinary siblings. D) are less likely with each additional birth.

Q: Patsy and Terry are fraternal twins. This type of twinning results from A) a zygote that duplicates and separates into two clusters of cells. B) the fertilization of one ovum by two Y-bearing sperm. C) the release and fertilization of two ova. D) the fertilization of one ovum by two X-bearing sperm.

Q: The sex of a new organism is determined by whether A) the X and Y chromosomes separate into sperm cells or ovum. B) an X-bearing sperm or a Y-bearing sperm fertilizes the ovum. C) the sperm fertilizes an X-bearing egg or a Y-bearing egg. D) the ovum is carrying an X chromosome or a Y chromosome.

Q: Taylor's twenty-third pair of chromosomes is XY. Taylor is A) male. B) a fraternal twin. C) female. D) an identical twin.

Q: Of matching pairs of chromosomes, 22 of 23 are called __________ and one pair consists of __________ chromosomes. A) gametes; sex B) zygotes; XX C) autosomes; sex D) autosomes; YY

Q: In the female, meiosis results in A) just one ovum. B) two ova. C) three ova. D) four ova.

Q: A healthy man can father a child A) at any age after sexual maturity. B) for about two decades. C) for about three decades. D) for about four decades.

Q: In the male, A) meiosis results in just one sperm cell. B) the cells from which sperm arise are produced continuously throughout life. C) sperm cells do not reach maturity until adolescence. D) about 1 to 2 million sperm are produced when meiosis is complete.