PSYC 300 Final Exam - Spring 96

PSYCHOLOGY 300: HUMAN DIVERSITY

The Psychology of Individual Differences

Final Exam (May 2, 1996)

1. Briefly define ten of the following (2 points each):
   • genetic drift
   • standard deviation
   • androgynous personality
   • conduct disorder
   • antisocial personality disorder
   • stereotype
   • prejudice
   • natural selection
   • P.T. Barnum effect
   • inter-sexual selection
   • intra-sexual selection
   • discrimination
   • schizotypy

2. Briefly state the biological and sociological definitions of "race”. What are the strengths and limitations in using each definition in the study of (average) psychological differences between different racial groups? (10 points)
3. Choose one area of psychology or behavior where males and females are known to differ, on average. Describe the nature and magnitude of the difference between the sexes. Discuss how this sex difference may be due to socialization, biological factors, or both, based on research findings covered in lecture and readings. (15 points)
4. In Dr. Vanman’s research on intergroup bias, he used two methods to measure individual attitudes towards individuals from “outgroups”--self-report and facial myography. (a) Explain how each of these methods are used to measure attitudes towards individuals. (b) Compare the resulting attitudes towards outgroup members for these two methods, where the outgroup is defined as African-American students and the “in-group” is Caucasian-American students. (c) What explanations might be offered to explain these results? (15 points)
5. (a) Describe the objective approach to measuring "social status", including what observed variables are used to define it. (b) Briefly describe one area of human behavior where social class differences are evident. (c) Outline a study which could determine the extent to which genetic and environmental factors influence individual differences in social status. (12 points)
6. Averaging across many studies of twins and adoptees, it has been suggested that most of the folk scales in the CPI have a heritability (h2) of .40. “Shared environmentality” (e2S) is estimated at about .05, and “non-shared environmentality” (e2NS) is about .55. (a) Explain in words what these findings imply about individual differences in personality. (b) What do these findings suggest about the modifiability of an individual’s personality? Explain. (8 points)
7. Discuss the research regarding the average “Black-White” difference in standardized intelligence tests, including the following: (a) the magnitude of the difference, (b) several hypothetical causes of these differences, and (c) empirical research which either supports or fails to support the various explanations for the differences. (20 points)

For up to 8 extra credit points, answer the following question:

(a) Previous research has shown that spatial ability has a heritability of .about .50, within both male and female populations. What, in words, does this imply about individual differences in spatial ability? (b) Given these heritability estimates, and the additional knowledge that there is an average difference between males and females in spatial ability tasks, is it necessary that this average sex difference must be due in part to genetic factors? Explain.

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