PSYC 2380 - FINAL EXAM PRACTICE QUESTIONS
Life experiences can cause biological differences between men and women. True or
False?
True: performing male-typed behaviors can increase women's testosterone levels and
performing female typed- behaviors can reduce mens testosterone levels
There are only two biological sexes: male and female. True or False?
False: biology offers several different types of intersexuality in which the biological
components of sex do not consistently fit the typical male or female patterns
Throughout human history, there is evidence that some societies were true matriarchies
in which women rules the society, controlled how it operated, and held more power than
men. True or False?
False: there are no known human matriarchies. There are, however, many examples of
matrilineal societies
Many people who believe in feminist principles do not identify as feminist. True or
False?
True
Gender researchers disagree about whether or not it is appropriate to study sex
differences. True or False?
True: there is a long-standing debate among gender researchers about whether or not it
is appropriate and ethical to study sex differences
If a study finds that different sexes vary on some variable of interest (e.g., the frequency
of smiling behavior), the researcher can therefore conclude that sex (being female,
male, or something else) causes differences in smiling behavior. True or False?
False: because sex and gender identity are not rue independent variables - that is, they
cannot be manipulated, nor can people be randomly assigned to occupy different levels
of them - researchers cannot draw cause-and-effect conclusions from studies that
compare people of different sexes
Qualitative methods (e.g., case studies) are defined as non-scientific. True or False?
,False: qualitative methods are scientific. Science is a systematic empirical way of
investigating the world and consists of both quantitative and qualitative methods
Across most psychological variables, sex differences are generally small. True or
False?
True: sex differences on most psychological variables are in the close-to-zero and small
ranges
Psychological science, if done correctly, can be truly objective and unbiased. True or
False?
False: psychological science is not truly objective because researchers always bring
biases to their studies
Sex (whether a person is male, female, or intersex) is shaped entirely by biological
factors. True or False?
False: sex is shaped by complex interactions between nature and nurture
Genetically female (XX) individuals who get exposed to high levels of androgens in
utero can have male-typed genitalia at birth and are sometimes raised as boys. True or
False?
True: genetically female individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia [CAH]
experience high levels of androgens in utero and are sometimes raised male, especially
in countries that lack access to diagnosis and treatment
All female individuals have an XX pair of chromosomes, and all male individuals have
an XY pair. True or False?
False: while most girls have XX pairs and most boys have XY pairs, some female-
identifying and male-identifying individuals have different combinations of chromosomes
From twin studies, we know that gender identity is determined primarily by socialization
(Nurture). True or False?
False: twin studies indicate that gender identity is determined by a combination of
genetic and environmental factors
In the past decade, neuroscientists identified structured sex differences in the brain and
linked them definitively to specific psychological sex differences. True or False?
False: neuroscientists do not fully understand the connections between brain structure
and function, and hypotheses about human sex differences in brain functions remains
speculative
, Parents are generally accurate in their perceptions of sex differences in their infants'
physical abilities. True or False?
False: parents tend to overestimate the physical abilities of boys, when, in fact, there
are no sex differences in infants' physical competencies
By calling attention to the sex binary in the classroom (e.g., referring to "girls and boys"
rather than "children"), teachers can increase children's gender stereotyping. True or
False?
True
Children who display cross-sex play preferences in childhood (e.g., girls who prefer
rough-and-tumble play and boys who prefer dolls) are more likely than other children to
identify as gay or lesbian later in life. True or False?
True: children who display cross-sex play preferences are substantially more likely to
identify as gay or lesbian in adolescence and adulthood)
In general, children's levels of conflict with parents tend to be highest in early childhood
and then decline by adolescence. True or False?
False: children's levels of conflict with parents tend to be highest during early and
middle adolescence
As people enter middle and late adulthood, gender becomes a less central part of the
self. True or False?
False: counter to the Degendering hypothesis, there is no evidence that gender
becomes less central to the self as people age
The contents of gender stereotypes tend to vary a lot from one culture to another. True
or False?
The contents of gender stereotypes tend to vary a lot from one culture to another
In the United States, the strength of people's gender stereotypes has not weakened
over the past several decades. True or False?
True
Stereotypes about people who fall into multiple social identity categories (e.g., gay
Black men) can be understood by combining or adding up the stereotypes of the
individual groups that form the identity (e.g., gay people, black people, and men). True
or False?
Life experiences can cause biological differences between men and women. True or
False?
True: performing male-typed behaviors can increase women's testosterone levels and
performing female typed- behaviors can reduce mens testosterone levels
There are only two biological sexes: male and female. True or False?
False: biology offers several different types of intersexuality in which the biological
components of sex do not consistently fit the typical male or female patterns
Throughout human history, there is evidence that some societies were true matriarchies
in which women rules the society, controlled how it operated, and held more power than
men. True or False?
False: there are no known human matriarchies. There are, however, many examples of
matrilineal societies
Many people who believe in feminist principles do not identify as feminist. True or
False?
True
Gender researchers disagree about whether or not it is appropriate to study sex
differences. True or False?
True: there is a long-standing debate among gender researchers about whether or not it
is appropriate and ethical to study sex differences
If a study finds that different sexes vary on some variable of interest (e.g., the frequency
of smiling behavior), the researcher can therefore conclude that sex (being female,
male, or something else) causes differences in smiling behavior. True or False?
False: because sex and gender identity are not rue independent variables - that is, they
cannot be manipulated, nor can people be randomly assigned to occupy different levels
of them - researchers cannot draw cause-and-effect conclusions from studies that
compare people of different sexes
Qualitative methods (e.g., case studies) are defined as non-scientific. True or False?
,False: qualitative methods are scientific. Science is a systematic empirical way of
investigating the world and consists of both quantitative and qualitative methods
Across most psychological variables, sex differences are generally small. True or
False?
True: sex differences on most psychological variables are in the close-to-zero and small
ranges
Psychological science, if done correctly, can be truly objective and unbiased. True or
False?
False: psychological science is not truly objective because researchers always bring
biases to their studies
Sex (whether a person is male, female, or intersex) is shaped entirely by biological
factors. True or False?
False: sex is shaped by complex interactions between nature and nurture
Genetically female (XX) individuals who get exposed to high levels of androgens in
utero can have male-typed genitalia at birth and are sometimes raised as boys. True or
False?
True: genetically female individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia [CAH]
experience high levels of androgens in utero and are sometimes raised male, especially
in countries that lack access to diagnosis and treatment
All female individuals have an XX pair of chromosomes, and all male individuals have
an XY pair. True or False?
False: while most girls have XX pairs and most boys have XY pairs, some female-
identifying and male-identifying individuals have different combinations of chromosomes
From twin studies, we know that gender identity is determined primarily by socialization
(Nurture). True or False?
False: twin studies indicate that gender identity is determined by a combination of
genetic and environmental factors
In the past decade, neuroscientists identified structured sex differences in the brain and
linked them definitively to specific psychological sex differences. True or False?
False: neuroscientists do not fully understand the connections between brain structure
and function, and hypotheses about human sex differences in brain functions remains
speculative
, Parents are generally accurate in their perceptions of sex differences in their infants'
physical abilities. True or False?
False: parents tend to overestimate the physical abilities of boys, when, in fact, there
are no sex differences in infants' physical competencies
By calling attention to the sex binary in the classroom (e.g., referring to "girls and boys"
rather than "children"), teachers can increase children's gender stereotyping. True or
False?
True
Children who display cross-sex play preferences in childhood (e.g., girls who prefer
rough-and-tumble play and boys who prefer dolls) are more likely than other children to
identify as gay or lesbian later in life. True or False?
True: children who display cross-sex play preferences are substantially more likely to
identify as gay or lesbian in adolescence and adulthood)
In general, children's levels of conflict with parents tend to be highest in early childhood
and then decline by adolescence. True or False?
False: children's levels of conflict with parents tend to be highest during early and
middle adolescence
As people enter middle and late adulthood, gender becomes a less central part of the
self. True or False?
False: counter to the Degendering hypothesis, there is no evidence that gender
becomes less central to the self as people age
The contents of gender stereotypes tend to vary a lot from one culture to another. True
or False?
The contents of gender stereotypes tend to vary a lot from one culture to another
In the United States, the strength of people's gender stereotypes has not weakened
over the past several decades. True or False?
True
Stereotypes about people who fall into multiple social identity categories (e.g., gay
Black men) can be understood by combining or adding up the stereotypes of the
individual groups that form the identity (e.g., gay people, black people, and men). True
or False?
