Nature and Nurture of Differences Practice Questions
20 free Nature and Nurture of Differences practice questions for the CDP. Tap an option to answer — you get instant feedback, the correct answer, and a detailed explanation for every question.
The phrase “nature vs. nurture” in psychology refers to:
- A Whether people are shaped only by their genes
- B Whether traits come from genes or environment
- C Whether nature always outweighs nurture in every case
- D The idea that environment has no effect at all on development
Correct answer: Whether traits come from genes or environment
“Nature vs. nurture” refers to the longstanding debate about the relative influence of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) on human traits. Most modern scholars view both as important contributors.
Which of the following is an example of a ‘nature’ influence on individual differences?
- A A child's home parenting and discipline style
- B Genetic predisposition to temperament
- C The overall quality of a child's schooling
- D Interactions within a child's peer group
Correct answer: Genetic predisposition to temperament
Genetic predispositions such as temperament are inherited biological factors. These are categorized as nature influences.
An environmental (nurture) influence on individual development could be:
- A A person's inherited natural eye color
- B Genetic heritage passed down from parents
- C Exposure to stimulating environments
- D A newborn's innate biological reflexes
Correct answer: Exposure to stimulating environments
Stimulating environments like schooling and social experiences shape behavior and cognitive development. These are nurture factors.
Which statement best reflects current scientific consensus on nature and nurture in human development?
- A Genes alone completely determine all human traits
- B Environment alone influences all of development
- C Genes and environment interact to shape differences
- D Neither genetics nor environment matters much at all
Correct answer: Genes and environment interact to shape differences
Modern research supports that both heredity and environment contribute, interacting over time to produce individual differences.
Twin studies are valuable in disentangling nature and nurture because they:
- A Guarantee that twins always share identical environments
- B Compare identical individuals raised in different homes
- C Deliberately ignore all differences in their upbringing
- D Focus their analysis only on adopted children
Correct answer: Compare identical individuals raised in different homes
Studies of identical twins reared apart help estimate genetic influence by controlling for upbringing similarities. These show how genes affect traits beyond shared environment.
Nonshared environmental factors refer to:
- A Genetic influences fully shared by all siblings
- B Experiences unique to one person, not shared
- C School policies applied uniformly to all pupils alike
- D Only prenatal influences before a child is born
Correct answer: Experiences unique to one person, not shared
Nonshared environments include experiences like peer interactions or illnesses that differ among siblings, contributing to individual differences.
Heritability estimates in behavioral genetics indicate:
- A The exact genetic determination of a single trait
- B Share of population variation due to genes
- C That the surrounding environment plays no role
- D That traits can never change over a lifetime
Correct answer: Share of population variation due to genes
Heritability refers to how much of population variability can be attributed to genetics. It does not imply fixed destiny for individuals.
Which of these traits is likely influenced by both nature and nurture?
- A A person's inherited ABO blood type
- B Naturally inherited iris eye color
- C Temperament and personality
- D Genetically fixed natural hair color
Correct answer: Temperament and personality
Personality and temperament are shaped by both inherited tendencies and environmental experiences over time.
The concept of gene–environment interaction means:
- A Genes and environment affect traits fully independently
- B Environment can modify genetic effects and vice versa
- C The surrounding environment alone shapes all behavior
- D Genes acting alone determine every developmental outcome
Correct answer: Environment can modify genetic effects and vice versa
Gene–environment interaction implies a dynamic interplay, where environment influences how genes are expressed and affects development.
If identical twins raised in different households show similar IQ scores, this suggests:
- A That the surrounding environment has no effect
- B A strong genetic component to intelligence
- C That nurture matters far more than nature here
- D That the IQ tests themselves are unreliable
Correct answer: A strong genetic component to intelligence
Similarity in IQ despite different environments indicates heritable factors play a significant role in intelligence.
Changes in environment (like better schooling, nutrition) leading to improved cognitive performance reflect:
- A Underlying changes to the genetic code
- B Plasticity and nurture effects
- C A completely fixed pattern of development
- D No measurable influence on intelligence
Correct answer: Plasticity and nurture effects
Environmental improvements demonstrate that nurture can enhance development and alter expression of potential traits.
Which of the following BEST describes temperament differences among children?
- A Behavior entirely learned from the environment
- B Something completely and rigidly predetermined by genes
- C Interaction of genetic and environmental factors
- D Unrelated to either genes or environmental factors
Correct answer: Interaction of genetic and environmental factors
Temperament arises from both inherited biological makeup and early life experiences. Both nature and nurture contribute.
Epigenetic changes demonstrate that:
- A Genes acting alone determine all human traits
- B Environment can affect gene expression, not DNA
- C The surrounding environment has no effect at all on biology
- D Only nurture matters for development, never nature
Correct answer: Environment can affect gene expression, not DNA
Epigenetics shows how environmental factors can regulate gene activity, affecting development and behavior—highlighting complex nature–nurture interplay.
Why can two siblings raised in the same family still be quite different from each other?
- A Because they necessarily share completely identical genetics
- B Due to nonshared experiences and genetic variation
- C Because the environment does not really matter at all
- D Because the assessments used are inherently biased
Correct answer: Due to nonshared experiences and genetic variation
Even siblings share only part of their genes and have different experiences. These differences contribute to unique development.
Which model explains development as an ongoing interaction between genes and environment throughout life?
- A Nature-only model
- B Nurture-only model
- C Interactionist model
- D Deterministic model
Correct answer: Interactionist model
The interactionist model sees development as shaped by continuous interplay between biological and environmental factors. This is the current prevailing view.
Hereditary factors influence all but which of these traits:
- A Eye color
- B Blood type
- C Socioeconomic status
- D Height potential
Correct answer: Socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic status depends on social environment and context, not genetics. Other traits listed are genetically determined.
Which of these statements aligns with the concept of phenotypic plasticity?
- A Genes rigidly and fully predetermine all development
- B Environment can modify how genetic potentials show
- C People with the same genes are always identical
- D Genetics and environment never interact at all
Correct answer: Environment can modify how genetic potentials show
Phenotypic plasticity refers to variation in expression of genetic traits depending on environmental conditions. This illustrates environment’s role.
Research shows that even with high heritability, individual differences in personality and behavior:
- A Are permanently fixed and can never change
- B Can still be shaped by unique experiences
- C Depend solely on early childhood experiences
- D Are identical for all genetically similar people
Correct answer: Can still be shaped by unique experiences
Heritability does not preclude environmental influence; unique experiences contribute significantly to individual variation.
When environmental deprivation suppresses an individual’s genetic potential, this illustrates:
- A Straightforward genetic dominance of one allele
- B G × E interaction where nurture limits nature
- C The action of pure nurture effects operating alone
- D A strict form of behavioral determinism
Correct answer: G × E interaction where nurture limits nature
Environmental deprivation can hinder the expression of genetic potential, showing how nurture can limit nature’s effect.
Which field of study specifically investigates genetic and environmental contributions to individual differences?
- A Sociology
- B Behavioral genetics
- C Economics
- D Physical anthropology
Correct answer: Behavioral genetics
Behavioral genetics uses twin, family, and adoption studies to examine how heredity and environment influence traits.