Midterm 1 Flashcards by Muhammed Ore

Which of the following questions is NOT a focus of evolutionary psychology?

(a) Why is the mind designed the way that it is?
(b) How do the components of the mind interact with the environment?
(c) What is the relationship between the human mind and the Big Bang?
(d) What are the functions of the components of the human mind?

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Evolution refers to __________.

(a) changes in gene frequency within a population over time
(b) differences between species
(c) changes over time in the shape of the human skull
(d) differences between men and women

(a) changes in gene frequency within a population over time

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Change in life forms over time was suggested __________.

(a) first by Darwin
(b) well before Darwin’s time
(c) well after Darwin’s time
(d) first by George Williams

(b) well before Darwin’s time

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Which of the following arguments did Lamarck present?

(a) Species originate from microscopic algae.
(b) Species progress toward a lower form.
(c) acquisition of inherited characteristics.
(d) inheritance of acquired characteristics.

(d) inheritance of acquired characteristics

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According to Cuvier’s theory of catastrophism, species are __________.

(a) exterminated by sudden catastrophes and replaced by different species
(b) irradiated by sudden catastrophes, thereafter replacing other species
(c) exterminated by gradual elimination due to disease, leaving room for new species
(d) irradiated and extinguished, and replaced by the same species

(a) exterminated by sudden catastrophes and replaced by different species

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Which of the following clues to change in organic structure over time were not known or noted prior to Darwin?

(a) cross-species structural similarities
(b) cross-species embryological similarities
(c) apparent function of traits
(d) mechanism to explain change in organic structure over time

(d) mechanism to explain change in organic structure over time

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Which of the following is NOT an example of genetic drift?

(a) natural selection
(b) founder effect
(c) genetic bottleneck
(d) mutation

(a) natural selection

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Which of the following is NOT one of the three essential processes identified by Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection?

(a) variation
(b) particulation
(c) selection
(d) inheritance

(b) particulation

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_________ provides the “raw materials” for evolution.

(a) Variation
(b) Particulation
(c) Selection
(d) Inheritance

(a) Variation

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For evolution to work, successful variations must be _________, or passed down reliably from parent to offspring.

(a) variated
(b) particulated
(c) selected
(d) inherited

(d) inherited

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The process of _________ refers to the component of Darwin’s theory of evolution that states that organisms with some heritable attributes leave more offspring because those attributes help with the tasks of survival and reproduction.

(a) variation
(b) particulation
(c) selection
(d) inheritance

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In contrast to the theory of natural selection, which focused on adaptations that have arisen as a consequence of successful survival, the theory of ______________ focused on adaptations that have arisen as a consequence of successful mating.

(a) sexual selection
(b) internal selection
(c) external selection
(d) social selection

(a) sexual selection

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The work of Gregor Mendel documented that __________.

(a) evolution is unlikely to have occurred in pea plants
(b) evolution is unlikely to have occurred in pea genes
(c) inheritance is particulate, not blended
(d) inheritance is blended, not particulate

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A _______ is the smallest discrete unit that is inherited by offspring intact, without being broken up or blended.

(a) genotype
(b) phenotype
(c) meme
(d) gene

(d) gene

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Ethologists are interested in four key issues, which became known as the four “whys” of behavior advanced by Niko Tinbergen, a founder of ethology. Which of the following is not one of the four “whys” of behavior?

(a) imprinted influences of behavior
(b) immediate influences of behavior
(c) developmental influences of behavior
(d) function of behavior

(a) imprinted influences of behavior

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According to Hamilton (1954), _________ is the sum of classical fitness plus the effects the individual’s actions have on the reproductive success of his or her genetic relatives, weighted by the degree of genetic relatedness.

(a) direct fitness
(b) indirect fitness
(c) inclusive fitness
(d) exclusive fitness

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Which of the following relatives is least related to you, genetically?

(a) grandmother
(b) niece
(c) half-brother
(d) first cousin

(d) first cousin

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Williams’s (1966) book clarified the concept of _________, an evolved solution to a specific problem that contributes directly or indirectly to successful reproduction.

(a) genetic drift
(b) byproduct
(c) adaptation
(d) exaptation

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Which of the following theories was not presented by Trivers in the early 1970s?

(a) theory of parental investment
(b) theory of gene selection
(c) theory of reciprocal altruism
(d) theory of parent-offspring conflict

(b) theory of gene selection

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Edward O. Wilson’s 1975 book ignited controversy for the assertion that much of human behavior could be explained by ___________.

(a) socialization
(b) evolutionary biology
(c) inclusive fitness theory
(d) ethology

(b) evolutionary biology

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The last chapter on humans in Edward O. Wilson’s 1975 book was __________.

(a) based on research documenting the importance of cognition in human behavior
(b) based on little empirical work
(c) controversial because it portrayed humans as being subject to different evolutionary forces than other animals
(d) controversial because it did not account for the role of culture in shaping behavior

(b) based on little empirical work

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Which of the following is NOT a misunderstanding of evolutionary theory?

(a) genetic determinism
(b) Behavior is impervious to change.
(c) Adaptations are optimally designed.
(d) Adaptations are designed to confront environmental problems.

(d) Adaptations are designed to confront environmental problems.

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Genetic determinism implies that __________.

(a) genes determine behavior
(b) behavior is caused by the interaction of genes and environment
(c) culture determines all behavior
(d) if a trait is natural, it is “good”

(a) genes determine behavior

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Human behavior cannot occur without which of the following sets of two ingredients?

(a) culture and socialization
(b) psychological machinery and natural selection
(c) adaptations and environmental input
(d) environmental input and developmental activation

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Knowledge about evolved social psychological adaptations __________. (a) provides evidence that genes play the most important role in shaping behavior (b) suggests that humans are different from all other animals (c) suggests that behavior is not modifiable (d) gives us power to change targeted behaviors

(d) gives us power to change targeted behaviors

Which of the following does not describe evolved psychological mechanisms? (a) Evolved psychological mechanisms are optimally designed. (b) Evolved psychological mechanisms are not optimally designed. (c) Evolved psychological mechanisms are associated with costs. (d) Adaptations work reasonably well at solving adaptive problems

(a) Evolved psychological mechanisms are optimally designed.

Which of the following is not a critical development in the evolutionary history of humans? (a) descent from mammals (b) bipedal locomotion (c) development of agriculture (d) brain expansion

(a) descent from mammals

The common ancestor of all modern humans can be traced back to __________ years ago. (a) 35–40 thousand (b) 120–150 thousand (c) 27 million (d) 30 million

(b) 120–150 thousand

William James was one of the first to posit that humans have _________ instincts than/from other animals. (a) fewer (b) equal but different (c) more (d) different

Behaviorism was a direct reaction to __________. (a) Darwin’s theory of natural selection (b) the cognitive revolution (c) classical conditioning (d) James’s psychology of instincts

(d) James’s psychology of instincts

Classical conditioning differed from operant conditioning in the role given to _________ in human behavior. (a) reinforcement (b) radical behaviorism (c) culture (d) instincts

(a) reinforcement

Behaviorists believed that ___________. (a) all behavior is instinctual, but can be modified by learning (b) reflexes are the only instincts (c) a general ability to learn is the only instinct (d) there are no instincts

Margaret Mead was famous for __________. (a) her fieldwork studying Antarctic cultures (b) claiming to have found cultures with reversed sex roles, and with no fighting, murder, or sexual jealousy (c) debunking findings of cultures with reversed sex roles (d) her writings on the thoughts, behaviors, and rituals on which learning could operate

(b) claiming to have found cultures with reversed sex

Harry Harlow used the theory behind operant conditioning to predict incorrectly that __________. (a) monkeys would prefer a wire mesh mother that dispensed food (b) monkeys would prefer a wire mesh mother with a soft cloth cover that did not dispense food (c) monkeys would withdraw from, and be frightened by, both wire mesh mothers (d) monkeys would prefer both wire mesh mothers equally

(a) monkeys would prefer a wire mesh mother that dispensed food

The Garcia effect refers to __________. (a) the ability to condition humans to fear things such as snakes and electrical outlets (b) taking into account the role of learning in conditioning fears (c) the fact that humans are wired to learn all things equally well (d) the ability to learn some things more easily than others

(d) the ability to learn some things more easily than others

Which of the following did NOT give rise to the cognitive revolution? (a) violations of the fundamental laws of learning (b) underlying structures for language that are invariable across cultures (c) technology such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that allowed psychologists to “peer” into the minds of humans (d) the rise of computers

The cognitive revolution is synonymous with __________. (a) neurobiology (b) information processing (c) computers (d) domain-general learning

(b) information processing

Combinatorial explosion refers to __________. (a) the number of behaviors possible in any one situation caused by combining two or more sequential possibilities (b) the explosion of life on the planet about 4 billion years ago (c) the problem of not having enough domain-specific programming to account for the entire range of possible human behavior (d) general-purpose learning mechanisms capable of an infinite range of behaviors

(a) the number of behaviors possible in any one situation caused by combining two or more sequential possibilities

Scientists have brought three fundamental sources of evidence to bear on testing theories about origins of modern humans out of Africa. Which of the following is not one of these sources? (a) anatomical evidence (b) archeological evidence (c) anthropological evidence (d) genetic evidence

Which of the following is the theory of human origins which has received much support from archeological evidence, though recent genetic evidence has refuted its exclusivity as a full explanation? (a) out of Africa (b) multiregional continuity (c) North American bottleneck (d) creative explosion

(a) out of Africa

All adaptations are selected for, and evolve, because they __________. (a) result in more muscular animals (b) promote the good of the species (c) increase the intelligence of the species (d) promote inclusive fitness

(d) promote inclusive fitness

DNA evidence suggests that there was likely _________ between ancestral Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. (a) a substantial amount of inbreeding (b) a small amount of inbreeding (c) a small amount of warfare (d) a substantial amount of warfare

(b) a small amount of inbreeding

The psychologist that proposed life-preservation instincts and sexual instincts was: (a) Charles Darwin (b) Sigmund Freud (c) William James (d) B. F. Skinner

(b) Sigmund Freud

Which of the following terms describes a case where an adaptation that was beneficial in the evolutionary past is no longer adaptive in the modern environment? (a) Evolutionary mismatch (b) Adaptive byproduct (c) Mechanistic malfunction (d) Cultural interference

(a) Evolutionary mismatch

Which of the following theories is the only known scientific theory that can explain adaptations? (a) seeding theory (b) evolution by natural selection (c) inclusive fitness theory (d) creationism

(b) evolution by natural selection

Which of the following is not a product of evolution by natural selection? (a) adaptations (b) sexual selection (c) byproducts (d) random effects

(b) sexual selection

Adaptations must have which of the following characteristics? (a) must be present at birth (b) must be associated with one particular gene (c) must develop reliably (d) must be easily identifiable

Five characteristics of an adaptation include __________. (a) function, efficiency, economy, precision, and reliability (b) mutation, byproducts, economy, genetic drift, and function (c) mutation, efficiency, reliability, function, and economy (d) function, efficiency, economy, inclusive fitness, and optimality

(a) function, efficiency, economy, precision, and reliability

The environment of evolutionary adaptedness refers to __________. (a) a time when humans evolved toward a common ancestor with chimpanzees (b) a specific period of human evolution when all adaptations emerged (c) the statistical composite of selection pressures that occurred during an adaptation’s period of evolution responsible for producing the adaptation (d) the environment that is necessary for an adaptation to emerge

(c) the statistical composite of selection pressures that occurred during an adaptation’s period of evolution responsible for producing the adaptation

Adaptations initially start as __________. (a) other adaptations (b) genetic mutations (c) byproducts (d) noise

(b) genetic mutations

Time periods associated with environments of evolutionary adaptedness are __________. (a) invariable (b) specific to a time and place (c) not unique to each adaptation (d) unique to each adaptation

(d) unique to each adaptation

Byproducts __________. (a) do not solve adaptive problems and have no functional design (b) do not solve adaptive problems but do have functional design (c) do solve adaptive problems and have no functional design (d) do solve adaptive problems and do have functional design

(a) do not solve adaptive problems and have no functional design

Which of the following is an example of a byproduct? (a) light produced by a light bulb (b) yawning produced by being tired (c) bellybutton produced by umbilical cord (d) calluses produced by friction

The sum of an individual’s own reproductive success plus the effects of the individual’s actions is known as __________. (a) theory of parental investment (b) theory of reciprocal altruism (c) inclusive fitness theory (d) theory of parent-offspring conflict

General evolutionary theory would be proven false if which of the following facts were uncovered? (a) Men and women do not differ in the affection they report towards their partners. (b) Adaptations emerged in time periods too short for natural selection to have operated. (c) Lamarck’s theory about acquired characteristics was found to be true. (d) Humans had group-level adaptations.

(b) Adaptations emerged in time periods too short for natural selection to have operated.

Which of the following theories predicts psychological differences between men and women? (a) theory of reciprocal altruism (b) theory of parent-offspring conflict (c) theory of parental investment (d) inclusive fitness theory

The __________ an organism invests in parenting, the __________ it has to lose by making a bad mate choice. (a) more; more (b) less; more (c) first time; less (d) more; less

(a) more; more

In which of following species do males make greater investments in their offspring than females? (a) poison dart frog (b) kangaroo (c) zebra finch (d) pipefish seahorse

(d) pipefish seahorse

All of the following hypotheses can be generated based on women’s preference for men with high status except __________. (a) women will value qualities known to be linked with the acquisition of resources (b) women will gaze more at higher-status males (c) women will be interested in sexual intercourse earlier in the relationship when the male is of higher status (d) women will be less likely to divorce husbands who fail to provide resources

(d) women will be less likely to divorce husbands who fail to provide resources

The first step in the top-down strategy of testing hypotheses is __________. (a) test predictions based on the hypothesis (b) develop a hypothesis about adaptive function based on a known observation (c) derive a hypothesis from existing theory (d) evaluate whether empirical results confirm predictions

. The first step in the bottom-up strategy of testing hypotheses is __________. (a) test predictions based on the hypothesis (b) develop a hypothesis about adaptive function based on a known observation (c) derive a hypothesis from existing theory (d) evaluate whether empirical results confirm predictions

b) develop a hypothesis about adaptive function based on a known observation

Men prefer a(n) ____________ waist-to-hip ratio than women do. (a) equal (b) smaller (c) larger (d) more masculine

(b) smaller

An evolved psychological mechanism that led to a successful solution in the evolutionary past ___________ lead to a successful solution now. (a) must (b) will always (c) may or may not (d) cannot

Identifying an evolved psychological mechanism requires an identification of its ____________. (a) function (b) physiological characteristics (c) component parts (d) current utility

(a) function

Problem specificity of adaptive mechanisms tends to be favored over generality for the following reasons except __________. (a) general solutions fail to guide the organism to the correct adaptive solutions (b) general solutions lead to too many errors and are costly to the organism (c) general solutions are always anatomically more complex (d) a successful solution differs from problem to problem

. The __________ mechanisms we have, the ___________ the range of behaviors we can perform. (a) more, smaller (b) fewer, greater (c) fewer, larger (d) more, greater

(d) more, greater

. Domain-general mechanisms can be characterized by all of the following statements except __________. (a) they are difficult to identify because there are no domain-general problems (b) the study of domain-generality has not been as fruitful an avenue of scientific pursuit as domain-specificity (c) they do not exist (d) several domain-specific mechanisms working together may appear to be domain-general

. Are learning and evolved psychological mechanisms mutually exclusive explanations of human behavior, and why or why not? (a) Yes, because evolved psychological mechanisms are reflexes and do not require input from the environment, unlike learning. (b) Yes, because learning overrides our evolved psychological mechanisms. (c) No, because evolved psychological mechanisms are learned during development. (d) No, because learning requires the presence of evolved psychological mechanisms to occur.

(d) No, because learning requires the presence of evolved psychological mechanisms to occur.

Which of the following cues was shown to have the most influence on incest avoidance behaviors? (a) degree of genetic relatedness (b) duration of co-residence with a member of the opposite sex during childhood (c) parents passing on knowledge of which individuals are unsuitable for mating (d) amount of time spent playing together during adolescence

(b) duration of co-residence with a member of the opposite sex during childhood

Psychological mechanisms are theorized to have access only to the information stored within them, and cannot access information contained in other psychological mechanisms except via information-sharing mechanisms. This phenomenon is referred to as __________. (a) compartmentalization (b) repression (c) subconscious (d) encapsulation

(d) encapsulation

Male chimpanzees have relatively _________ testes than human males because of the greater selection pressure of female promiscuity in chimpanzees. (a) larger (b) smaller (c) equal (d) fewer

(a) larger

Sperm competition is generally present in all of the following species except __________. (a) exclusively monogamous species (b) moderately monogamous species (c) polygamous species (d) promiscuous species

(a) exclusively monogamous species

Which data source for testing evolutionary hypotheses can be clouded by social desirability motives? (a) human products (b) archeological evidence (c) self-report data (d) public records

Which of the following is not a class of adaptive problems? (a) problems of life (b) problems of mating (c) problems of parental investment (d) problems of survival and growth

(a) problems of life

Adaptive problems are challenges that must be overcome for __________. (a) survival of the fittest (b) continuation of the species (c) reproduction or aid in reproduction (d) self-actualization

Which of the following is not an adaptive problem caused by an evolutionary history of social hierarchies? (a) protection of one’s resources (b) preventing upstarts from usurping one’s status (c) preventing defection from reciprocally altruistic relationships (d) attracting a mate

(d) attracting a mate

A task analysis posits which of the following questions: (a) For this structure to occur, what cognitive and behavioral tasks must be solved? (b) What tasks must be present for an adaptation to operate? (c) Why do certain tasks elicit vastly different behaviors? (d) What is the general task that all psychological mechanisms serve?

(a) For this structure to occur, what cognitive and behavioral tasks must be solved?

The input to an evolved psychological mechanism __________. (a) can be cues in the external environment or output from other psychological mechanisms (b) is transformed through decision rules (c) is extremely narrow and limited in scope (d) all of the above

(d) all of the above

Which type of cross-cultural study comparison was necessary to distinguish between the social roles hypothesis and the hunting hypothesis explanations of the function of mental rotation skills? (a) comparing cultures that vary in average happiness (b) comparing cultures that vary in gender equality (c) comparing cultures that vary in parasite load (d) comparing cultures that vary in reproductive rate

(b) comparing cultures that vary in gender equality

Cross-cultural studies can be used to test evolutionary hypotheses in each of the following ways EXCEPT __________. (a) to determine whether a trait was created by culture or evolution (b) to test whether ecologically dependent adaptations produce predicted differences across cultures (c) to compare the explanatory efficacy of competing evolutionary theories for a given phenomenon (d) to determine whether an adaptation hypothesized to be universal is present in all humans

(a) to determine whether a trait was created by culture or evolution

Using physiological measurement techniques, such as hormonal assays, evolutionary psychologists can __________. (a) determine whether a trait or behavior is evolved or not (b) identify the biological substrates of psychological adaptations (c) see ultimate causation in action (d) illustrate the phylogeny of a trait under investigation

(b) identify the biological substrates of psychological adaptations

As predicted from an evolutionary perspective, a study by Flinn and colleagues documented that children living with a stepparent have _______ levels of _________ than children living with biological parents. (a) lower; testosterone (b) higher; testosterone (c) lower; cortisol (d) higher; cortisol

(d) higher; cortisol

Which of the following is a limitation of brain imaging techniques for measuring psychological variables? (a) They currently cannot be used to test predictions from an evolutionary perspective. (b) They cannot measure differences within participants, only between groups. (c) Participants must remain immobile when they are exposed to stimuli. (d) all of the above

Behavioral genetics methods can test the evolutionary hypothesis that girls growing up without an investing father shift to earlier onset of menarche and sexual behavior. Which of the following behavioral genetics findings would refute this hypothesis? (a) Identical twin sisters raised together enter menarche at the same age, but identical twin sisters raised apart show less similar onset ages for menarche. (b) The environmental component of menarche onset is larger than the genetic component. (c) The genetic component of menarche onset is larger than the environmental component. (d) Age of onset of menarche is not correlated between girls and their biological mothers.

. Recent studies in molecular genetics have revealed that the 7R allele of the DRD4 gene has been linked to extraversion and novelty-seeking. Evolutionary psychologists hypothesized that such traits would have been adaptive in exploiting novel environments. Which of the following results was documented that supported this prediction? (a) The 7R allele is more common among nomadic populations than sedentary populations. (b) Easterners are more likely to possess the 7R allele than Westerners. (c) Women are more likely to possess the 7R allele than men. (d) The 7R allele is only expressed in childhood but not adulthood.

(a) The 7R allele is more common among nomadic populations than sedentary populations.

Modern molecular genetics methods have been used to increase our knowledge of recent human evolution in which of the following ways? (a) to show that selection in humans has been accelerating over the past 10,000 years (b) to identify the genes responsible for lactose intolerance (c) to compare competing theories for the timeline of human origins out of Africa (d) all of the above

(d) all of the above

Computer simulations can be used in research to determine all of the following except: (a) researchers’ theoretical “blind spots” (b) whether certain strategies did, in fact, evolve in humans (c) whether certain strategies can, in principle, evolve in humans (d) what researchers should study next

(b) whether certain strategies did, in fact, evolve in humans

Midterm 1 Flashcards

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