PSYC201 Test 2, Week 9

Question 1

What is evolutionary mismatch?
Give an example of evolutionary mismatch related to food.

Answer 1

When evolved traits are no longer adaptive in the modern environment, Sugar cravings leading to obesity

Question 2

Why is social exclusion so painful from an evolutionary perspective?

Answer 2

It used to be a matter of life and death in ancestral environments

Question 3

What concept does this study illustrate?

Answer 3

Biological monism – behaviour is influenced by biology and context

Question 4

What is the brain compared to in evolutionary psychology?

Answer 4

A computer with apps for solving survival problems

Question 5

What is the role of the insular cortex?

Answer 5

Processes disgust (e.g., food and moral disgust)

Question 6

What are the three requirements for natural selection?

Answer 6

Variation, heritability, and selection

Question 7

What is sexual selection?

Answer 7

Evolution through mate choice and competition

Question 8

Give an example of a trait shaped by sexual selection.

Answer 8

Peacock’s tail – attractive but costly for survival

Question 9

What is honest signaling?

Answer 9

Traits that reliably indicate an individual’s quality and are costly to fake

Question 10

How might depression be an honest signal?

Answer 10

It may signal a need for help to others in the group

Question 11

What is the formula for phenotype?

Answer 11

Phenotype = Genotype + Environment + Interaction

Question 12

What are epigenetics and neuroplasticity examples of?

Answer 12

Evolutionary adaptive mechanisms

Question 13

How does culture relate to evolution?

Answer 13

It is an extension of biological adaptation

Question 14

What does the SERT gene do?

Answer 14

Codes for a protein that clears serotonin from the synapse

Question 15

What are the two main SERT alleles?

Answer 15

Short (S) and Long (L)

Question 16

Which allele is more sensitive to the environment?

Answer 16

Short (S) allele

Question 17

Where is the S-allele more prevalent?

Answer 17

East Asia (70–80%)

Question 18

How can anxiety be both adaptive and maladaptive?

Answer 18

Adaptive for threat detection; maladaptive when excessive

Question 19

Why might ADHD be adaptive in some settings?

Answer 19

Useful in dynamic environments, disruptive in structured ones

Question 20

What does evolutionary psychology aim to explain?

Answer 20

Modern behaviour through ancestral adaptations

Question 21

What are the key characteristics of hormones?

Answer 21

Released by gonads into the bloodstream, act over long time scales, influence the whole body.

Question 22

Give an example of a sex hormone and its function.

Answer 22

Estrogen promotes sexual receptivity and ovulation timing.

Question 23

What are neuropeptides and how do they function?

Answer 23

Released by neurons or the hypothalamus; act as hormones, neuromodulators, or neurotransmitters; moderate speed.

Question 24

Example of a neuropeptide and its role?

Answer 24

Oxytocin increases during childbirth and social interaction, promoting bonding and maternal care.

Question 25

What are neurotransmitters and how do they act?

Answer 25

Act at synapses in brain circuits; very fast-acting and localized.

Question 26

Example of a neurotransmitter in reproductive behavior?

Answer 26

Dopamine surges during mating-related reward processing.

Question 27

What are activating effects of sex hormones?

Answer 27

Directly influence behavior; effects are temporary and occur in limited time windows.

Question 28

What are organizing effects of sex hormones?

Answer 28

Guide early sexual differentiation and shape long-term behavioral patterns.

Question 29

What hormone plays a major role in sexual differentiation?

Answer 29

Testosterone.

Question 30

What are endocrine-disrupting chemicals?

Answer 30

Substances that interfere with hormone signaling during development.

Question 31

Example of environmental hormone exposure effect?

Answer 31

Phthalates in animals alter sexual behavior.

Question 32

Do adult hormone levels explain sexual orientation?

Answer 32

No, prenatal factors are more influential.

Question 33

What prenatal factors may influence sexual orientation?

Answer 33

Maternal immune response, stress, or alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Question 34

What is the difference between sex and gender?

Answer 34

Sex is biological; gender is identity and perception.

Question 35

What is an intersex condition?

Answer 35

Atypical development of sexual anatomy, often due to hormone exposure.

Question 36

What is Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome?

Answer 36

XY chromosomes but body doesn't respond to testosterone; develops female characteristics.

Question 37

What is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)?

Answer 37

Overactive adrenal glands produce excess testosterone, partially masculinizing genetic females.

Question 38

What is the HPA axis's role in CAH?

Answer 38

Low cortisol → pituitary overdrive → excess androgen production.

Question 39

What behavioral effects are seen in girls with prenatal testosterone exposure?

Answer 39

Preference for boy-typical toys and behaviors.

Question 40

What did Dr. John Money believe about gender?

Answer 40

That gender could be reassigned regardless of biological sex.

Question 41

What were the consequences of David Reimer’s reassignment?

Answer 41

Psychological trauma, dissatisfaction with gender reassignment, and long-term emotional effects.

Question 42

What does the David Reimer case highlight?

Answer 42

The importance of biological and psychological factors in gender identity.

Question 43

What are the two main effects of sex hormones?

Answer 43

Organizing (developmental) and activating (temporary).

Question 44

How does early hormone exposure affect behavior?

Answer 44

It permanently influences brain development and later preferences.

Question 45

What do intersex conditions like CAH demonstrate?

Answer 45

How atypical hormone exposure affects physical and behavioral development.

Question 46

What are four reasons animals engage in sex?

Answer 46

Pleasure Reproduction Pair bonding for offspring care Genetic variation for evolutionary adaptation

Question 47

What role does testosterone play in mating motivation?

Answer 47

It primes the hypothalamus to release dopamine, enhancing motivation.

Question 48

What blocks dopamine release and reduces sexual motivation?

Answer 48

Serotonin

Question 49

Which brain area is key in initiating sexual behavior?

Answer 49

Medial Preoptic Area (MPOA) in the hypothalamus

Question 50

What brain areas are involved in evaluating attractiveness?

Answer 50

Amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex

Question 51

How does ovulation affect mate perception?

Answer 51

Women find faces more attractive, are more sensitive to social cues, and focus less on long-term traits.

Question 52

What is the handicap hypothesis?

Answer 52

Costly signals are honest indicators of genetic fitness.

Question 53

What happens in the brain during sex?

Answer 53

Sympathetic nervous system activates Dopamine surge (stronger in males) Oxytocin and vasopressin released Deactivation of PFC and amygdala Broader brain activation in females

Question 54

What is the evolutionary goal of parental behavior?

Answer 54

Ensuring offspring survival and gene propagation

Question 55

What brain area becomes more active in parents?

Answer 55

Amygdala (hyper-vigilance)

Question 56

What activates the reward center in parents?

Answer 56

Looking at their baby

Question 57

What do romantic and maternal love have in common neurologically?

Answer 57

Similar activation in reward systems and oxytocin/vasopressin-rich areas

Question 58

What is oxytocin’s role in behavior?

Answer 58

Social bonding, maternal behavior, and possibly in-group favoritism

Question 59

What did the “Save Pieter” study show?

Answer 59

Oxytocin increased preference for in-group (Dutch-sounding names)

Question 60

How do prairie voles and meadow voles differ?

Answer 60

Prairie voles are monogamous with high vasopressin; meadow voles are promiscuous with low vasopressin

Question 61

What happens when vasopressin receptors are increased in meadow voles?

Answer 61

They show more monogamous behavior

Question 62

How does vasopressin affect human relationships?

Answer 62

Less-active vasopressin receptor genes are linked to lower marriage rates and higher divorce rates

Question 63

What are two evolutionary strategies for males?

Answer 63

Multiple mates Support one partner and raise offspring

Question 64

What happens to testosterone in new fathers?

Answer 64

Drops by about 30%

Question 65

Can parental behavior develop without pregnancy?

Answer 65

Yes, if the situation calls for it

Question 66

What brain changes occur during pregnancy?

Answer 66

Expansion of reward and motivation areas

Question 67

How do bonobos differ from chimpanzees in reproductive behavior?

Answer 67

Bonobos have frequent, recreational sex Lower testosterone Cooperative parenting Less hierarchical society