Chapter 8

Question 1

Human Nature

Answer 1

Collection of adaptations that defines us as humans.

Question 2

Natural Selection

Answer 2

Process by which adaptations are created and change takes place over time.

Question 3

Variants

Answer 3

Better enable an organism to survive and reproduce would lead to more descendants.

Question 4

Hostile Forces of Nature

Answer 4

Food shortages, diseases, parasites, predators, and extremes of weather.

Question 5

Sexual Selection

Answer 5

Traits evolved because they contributed to an individual’s mating success.

Question 6

Intrasexual Competition

Answer 6

Members of the same sex compete with each other for sexual access to members of the other sex.

Question 7

Intersexual Competition

Answer 7

Members of one sex choose a mate based on their preferences for particular qualities.

Question 8

Genes

Answer 8

Packets of DNA that are inherited by children from their parents in distinct chunks.

Question 9

Differential Gene Reproduction

Answer 9

Reproductive success relative to others.

Question 10

Inclusive Fitness Theory

Answer 10

Personal reproductive success plus effects you have on the reproduction of your genetic relatives, weighted by genetic relatedness.

Question 11

Adaptation

Answer 11

Reliably developing structure in the organism, which, because it meshes with the recurrent structure of the world, causes the solution to an adaptive problem.

Question 12

Adaptive Problem

Answer 12

Anything that impedes survival or reproduction, or anything whose solution increase the odds of survival or reproduction.

Question 13

Special Design

Answer 13

Features of an adaptation are recognized as components of specialized problem-solving machinery.

Question 14

Xenophobia

Answer 14

Fear of strangers.

Question 15

Byproducts of Adaptations

Answer 15

Evolutionary process also produces things that are not adaptations.

Question 16

Evolutionary Byproducts

Answer 16

Incidental effects that are not properly considered to be adaptations.

Question 17

Evolutionary Noise

Answer 17

Random variations that are neutral with respect to selection.

Question 18

Domain Specific

Answer 18

Designed by the evolutionary process to solve a particular adaptive problem.

Question 19

Functionality

Answer 19

Notion that our psychological mechanisms are deigned to accomplish particular adaptive tasks.

Question 20

Deductive Reasoning Approach

Answer 20

Theory-driven method of empirical research is one approach to scientific investigation.

Question 21

Inductive Reasoning Approach

Answer 21

Data-driven method of empirical research.

Question 22

Mate Deprivation Hypothesis

Answer 22

One theory of sexual aggression against women has proposed that men who have experienced deprivation of sexual access to women are more likely to use aggressive tactics.

Question 23

Social Anxiety

Answer 23

Distress or worry about being negatively evaluated in social situations.

Question 24

Evolutionary-Predicted Sex Differences

Answer 24

Holds that the sexes will differ in precisely those domains where women and men have faced different sorts of adaptive problems.

Question 25

Effective Polygyny

Answer 25

A few males will sire multiple offspring, whereas some will have none at all.

Question 26

Sexually Dimorphic

Answer 26

Highly different in size and structure.

Question 27

Frequency-Dependent Selection

Answer 27

Process whereby the reproductive success of a trait depends on its frequency relative to other traits in the population.

Question 28

Reactively Heritable

Answer 28

Secondary consequence of heritable body-build.

Question 29

Restricted Sexual Strategy

Answer 29

Marked by delayed intercourse and prolonged courtship.

Question 30

Unrestricted Mating Strategy

Answer 30

Man’s level of commitment to her is irrelevant, so prolonged assessment of his prior commitments is not necessary.

Question 31

Psychopathy

Answer 31

Cluster of personality traits marked by irresponsible and unreliable behavior, egocentrism, impulsivity, an inability to form lasting relationships, superficial social chiasm, and a deficit in social emotions such as love, shame, guilt, or empathy.

Question 32

K-Strategy

Answer 32

Greater effort is allocated to survival and heavy parenting over effort allocated to obtaining many mate.

Question 33

Balancing Selection

Answer 33

Occurs when genetic variation is maintained by selection because different levels on a trait dimension are adaptive in different environments.

Question 34

Numerousness

Answer 34

Expectation is that there are many psychological adaptations, because different adaptations are required to solve different adaptive problems.