PSYC 132 Quiz 2 - Chapter 4 PPT with
correct Answers
Why study sex differences? - Correct Answers -To satisfy innate curiosity and better
understand human behavior in general
o
To better understand specific behaviors in typical phenomena, e.g., parenting, and in
atypical phenomena, e.g., those associated with disorders
o
For practical reasons such as determining medication type and dosage for men versus
women, e.g., drugs such as Ambien metabolize differently between the sexes
What are the neural bases of mammalian sex differences? - Correct Answers -Sex
differences in human brain size have been reported for years
However, there is no evidence that sex differences in human brain morphology mediate
human behavioral sex differences
The first clear sex difference found in the mammalian brain was in the medical preoptic
area (MPOA) of rats, and it concerned connectivity (Raisman & field, 1973a)
Medical preoptic area (MPA) - Correct Answers -A subdivision of the anterior
hypothalamus implicated in the control of homeostatic processes and motivated
behaviors, including sexual behavior and gonadotropin secretion.
Preoptic area (POA) - Correct Answers -A region of the brain anterior to the
hypothalamus. This region is usually divided into the lateral and medial preoptic areas.
what's the sex difference between male and female rats? - Correct Answers -The sex
difference regarding connectivity is that female rats have more synapses on dendritic
spines and fewer on dendritic shafts, compared to male rats
Dendritic spines are small outgrowths along the dendritic shaft
what is the SDNPOA (Gorski et al. 1978)? - Correct Answers -Also there is a collection
of cells (i.e., a nucleus) in the MPOA of rats that is 5 to 7 times larger in males, and is
known as the SDN-POA (Gorski et al., 1978)
, what's sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA)? - Correct Answers -
A set of cell bodies anterior to the hypothalamus that is larger in male than in female
humans and rodents. The functional significance of this brain dimorphism is unknown.
How does a larger male brain effect rats in males? - Correct Answers -It's possible that
the larger male brain structure supports masculine behavior, but it's also possible that,
instead, it inhibits female sexual behavior
what are the animal models for sexually dimorphic behaviors? - Correct Answers -Birds
provide the best evidence that behavioral sex differences are the result of hormonally
induced structural changes in the brain
In mammals, this connection has been made only indirectly; in birds it has been made
directly via the sexually dimorphic behavior of birdsong
why do male finches sing? - Correct Answers -In most species of songbirds, song
production is sexually dimorphic; males usually sing more than females
Male zebra finches sing in order to attract females and ward of competing males;
female zebra finches never sing, even with testosterone treatment in adulthood
Bird song is organized and activated by sex steroids in some species (e.g. zebra
finches) and only activated by hormones in other species (e.g, female canaries that sing
more when given testosterone in adulthood)
what are the plainfin midshipman and hormone induced sex differences? - Correct
Answers -oType 1 males are large, build and guard nests, and attract females to their
nests with a persistent humming sound; Type 2 males do not do these things
oType 2 males are sneaker males; they follow females to Type 1 males' nests and
release sperm when females release their eggs
oOnly Type 1 males produce 11-ketotestosterone
oThe duration of vocalizations is modulated by steroids, and the sonic organs of these
fish respond rapidly to steroids
What causes the sex differences in human behavior? - Correct Answers -
oOrganizational effects
oActivational effects
oBoth
oNeither, e.g., sex differences that are learned
what do the most prominent behavioral sex differences concern? - Correct Answers -
The most prominent behavioral sex differences concern gender role, gender identity,
sexual orientation/sexual preference
correct Answers
Why study sex differences? - Correct Answers -To satisfy innate curiosity and better
understand human behavior in general
o
To better understand specific behaviors in typical phenomena, e.g., parenting, and in
atypical phenomena, e.g., those associated with disorders
o
For practical reasons such as determining medication type and dosage for men versus
women, e.g., drugs such as Ambien metabolize differently between the sexes
What are the neural bases of mammalian sex differences? - Correct Answers -Sex
differences in human brain size have been reported for years
However, there is no evidence that sex differences in human brain morphology mediate
human behavioral sex differences
The first clear sex difference found in the mammalian brain was in the medical preoptic
area (MPOA) of rats, and it concerned connectivity (Raisman & field, 1973a)
Medical preoptic area (MPA) - Correct Answers -A subdivision of the anterior
hypothalamus implicated in the control of homeostatic processes and motivated
behaviors, including sexual behavior and gonadotropin secretion.
Preoptic area (POA) - Correct Answers -A region of the brain anterior to the
hypothalamus. This region is usually divided into the lateral and medial preoptic areas.
what's the sex difference between male and female rats? - Correct Answers -The sex
difference regarding connectivity is that female rats have more synapses on dendritic
spines and fewer on dendritic shafts, compared to male rats
Dendritic spines are small outgrowths along the dendritic shaft
what is the SDNPOA (Gorski et al. 1978)? - Correct Answers -Also there is a collection
of cells (i.e., a nucleus) in the MPOA of rats that is 5 to 7 times larger in males, and is
known as the SDN-POA (Gorski et al., 1978)
, what's sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA)? - Correct Answers -
A set of cell bodies anterior to the hypothalamus that is larger in male than in female
humans and rodents. The functional significance of this brain dimorphism is unknown.
How does a larger male brain effect rats in males? - Correct Answers -It's possible that
the larger male brain structure supports masculine behavior, but it's also possible that,
instead, it inhibits female sexual behavior
what are the animal models for sexually dimorphic behaviors? - Correct Answers -Birds
provide the best evidence that behavioral sex differences are the result of hormonally
induced structural changes in the brain
In mammals, this connection has been made only indirectly; in birds it has been made
directly via the sexually dimorphic behavior of birdsong
why do male finches sing? - Correct Answers -In most species of songbirds, song
production is sexually dimorphic; males usually sing more than females
Male zebra finches sing in order to attract females and ward of competing males;
female zebra finches never sing, even with testosterone treatment in adulthood
Bird song is organized and activated by sex steroids in some species (e.g. zebra
finches) and only activated by hormones in other species (e.g, female canaries that sing
more when given testosterone in adulthood)
what are the plainfin midshipman and hormone induced sex differences? - Correct
Answers -oType 1 males are large, build and guard nests, and attract females to their
nests with a persistent humming sound; Type 2 males do not do these things
oType 2 males are sneaker males; they follow females to Type 1 males' nests and
release sperm when females release their eggs
oOnly Type 1 males produce 11-ketotestosterone
oThe duration of vocalizations is modulated by steroids, and the sonic organs of these
fish respond rapidly to steroids
What causes the sex differences in human behavior? - Correct Answers -
oOrganizational effects
oActivational effects
oBoth
oNeither, e.g., sex differences that are learned
what do the most prominent behavioral sex differences concern? - Correct Answers -
The most prominent behavioral sex differences concern gender role, gender identity,
sexual orientation/sexual preference
