Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

PSCL 313 > Evolution Biology > Flashcards

Evolution Biology Flashcards

(42 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

Do we tend to have personality characteristics that helped our ancestors reproduce?

A

Yes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

How do we select mates?

A

“Inclusive Fitness”

  • look for mates who will increase our chances for survival and the survival of our relatives
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is kin altruism?

A

We are attracted to people who favor relatives b/c promotes successful passing of genes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is reciprocal altruism

A

Unrelated people help each other; The risk of helping another is less than the benefit of being helped by the social network formed

  • Also promotes successful passing of genes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Who do we scorn?

A

Cheaters and freeloaders

  • people who will not help as much as they are helped
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

If you live in a family of 600 and there is a disease. Would you choose 200 guaranteed to live or 1/3 chance everyone survives but 2/3 chance everyone dies?

A

200 guarenteed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

If you live in a family of 600 and there is a disease. Would you choose 400 guaranteed to die or 2/3 chance everyone survives but 1/3 chance everyone dies?

A

2/3 chance everyone survives but 1/3 chance everyone dies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

If you live in a family of 60 and there is a disease. Would you choose 20 guaranteed to live or 1/3 chance everyone survives but 2/3 chance everyone dies?

A

1/3 chance everyone survives but 2/3 chance everyone dies

(clan of reduced numbers has decreased probability of surviving and passing along DNA)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

If you live in a family of 60 and there is a disease. Would you choose 40 guaranteed to die or 2/3 chance everyone survives but 1/3 chance everyone dies?

A

2/3 chance everyone survives but 1/3 chance everyone dies

(clan of reduced numbers has decreased probability of surviving and passing along DNA)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are some examples of traits that have little value (due to environment/society changing)

A

Eating sweets/high calorie foods, aggression, extreme jealousy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are some examples of functional traits?

A

Negative affect: fear of snakes, heights, strangers

Positive affect: hope, laughing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are 3 benefits of emotional abilities? (used to solidify social ties)

A
  1. See needs of others; allow us to share out goods and strengths with them
  2. Cooperate to protect against threat
  3. Social support improves immune function
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are evolved psychological mechanisms?

A

Processes which evolved to solve particular problems associated with survival/reproduction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the 5 evolved psychological mechanisms?

A
  1. Sexual jealousy
  2. Sexual attraction based on appearance
  3. Sexual attraction based on male’s ability to provide
  4. Sexual attraction based on youth
  5. Imitation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Why does sexual jealousy exist?

A

It was uncertain whether children biologically resulted from the “father”
- therefore, men would pay more attention to partner’s sexual fidelity
- women more jealous of emotional bonding between partner with other women (ensure father supports family)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Why does sexual attraction based on man’s ability to provide exist?

A

Women only have a limited amount of time to reproduce so they want to ensure offspring are cared for
- Children with father are more likely to survive
- Affluence also predicts survival rate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Why does sexual attraction based on physical appearance exist?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Good looks are signal of health
  • Men and women prefer symmetrical faces/bodies
  • Men prefer low waist:hip ratio for reproduction
  • Women prefer strong chin/cheekbone structure (indicative of high testosterone levels)
18
Q

Why does sexual attraction based on youth exist?

Study These Flashcards
A

Men prefer young women b/c greater number of reproductive days ahead

19
Q

Why does sexual attraction based on imitation exist?

Study These Flashcards
A

Children, as part of play, imitate adults
- they “practice” and “learn” adult behavior
- allow them to utilize behavioral tendences that have been successful from one generative to the next

20
Q

What is cultural transmission?

Study These Flashcards
A

process by which cultural traits, values, and preferences (“laws”) are passed down through generations
- Not all biological

21
Q

How is culture passed down?

Study These Flashcards
A
  1. Stories
  2. Religion
  3. Tools
  4. Technologies
  5. Social organizations
22
Q

Is temperament inheritable?

Study These Flashcards
A

Yes - twin studies show its highly heritable and highly consistent across the life span
- Emotionality
- Activity
- Sociability
- Self-regulation

23
Q

What are Thomas and Chess’s child temperament theories?

Study These Flashcards
A

Gave baby new object to play with
1. 40% easy, happy, interactive
2. 15% slower to warm up, withdrew and mildly distressed
3. 10% difficult, withdrew and irritable
4. Rest are variable

24
Q

What was Jerome Kagan’s model?

Study These Flashcards
A

A new person (experimenter) comes into room to offer a new toy to play with. 21 month old and mother are in the room. Either child would play to cling to mother
* inhibited vs uninhibited type

25
What is the inhibited vs uninhibited type?
Inhibited: shy, fearful, timid Uninhibited: bold, sociable, more outgoing
26
What did Kagan find the heribitability of temperament to be?
0.5
27
Inhibited children show increased arousal of the ____.
Amygdala - the emotional "fear" center of the brain
28
Genotype vs phenotype
Genotype: Inherited genetic profile Phenotype: observed characteristics
29
What are the amygdala, left frontal lobe, and right frontal lobe responsible for in terms of personality?
Amygdala: fear Left frontal lobe: Positive/approach emotion Right frontal lobe: Negative/withdrawal emotion
30
What did Pavlov say was a strong nervous system?
Able to tolerate a very strong stimuli without too much reaction ie. smell really good food but don't salivate too much
31
What did Pavlov say was a weak nervous system?
React intensely to only a minor stimuli ie. light smell of food but high salivation
32
Who is Eysenck?
psychologist who studied through 1. Questionnaries 2. Ratings by others 3. Physiological 4. Objective (Behavioral)
33
What is the PEN Model?
Categorizes individuals into three dimensions of personality: 1. Psychoticism 2. Extraversion 3. Neuroticism 4. Intelligence? - It suggests that these traits can be measured and are biologically based
34
What did Eysenck say about psychoticism?
- Tend towards nonconformity/social deviance - Habituate to strong emotional stimuli - Greater parasympathetic arousal
35
What did Eysenck say about extraversion?
- Strong vs weak nervous system - People with little reaction to stimuli seek stimuli more (ie. they act like extraverts)
36
What did Eysenck say about neuroticism?
People who are neurotic have a higher baseline arousal (measure heart rate, blood pressure, etc)
37
How can you relate Eysenck's PEN theory to anxiety and antisocial personality?
Anxiety: high neuroticism and introversion Antisocial: high psychoticism and extroversion
38
What was Eysenck's hypotheses?
Introverts react more strongly to stimuli relative to extroverts - After hearing a tone, introverts experience increased brain arousal reactivity - Extroverts choose loud background noise relative to introverts
39
What 2 systems did Jeffrey Gray come up with?
Behavioral Activation System Behavioral Inhibition System
40
What is the Behavioral Activation System (BAS)?
1. Left frontal mediation 2. High BAS --> impulsive behavior 3. low BAS --> depression Generally associated with positive affect (reward)
41
What is the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)?
1. Right frontal mediation 2. High BAS --> prone for anxiety disorders 3. Low BIS --> greater risk-taking Generally associated with negative affect (punishment)
42
What does it mean if the Behavioral Activation System > Behavioral Inhibition System? (BAS>BIS)
- Have greater left-frontal arousal - Tend to experience more positive affect throughout the day - Have positive effective bias for neutral information

PSCL 313 (14 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions