As discussed in live lecture, which of the following best describes the key assumptions of evolutionary psychology as applied to humans?

As discussed in live lecture, which of the following best describes the key assumptions of evolutionary psychology as applied to humans?

A) Evolved psychological mechanisms function as information processing devices to solve general problems.
B) Evolved psychological mechanisms function as information processing devices to solve recurring adaptive problems.
C) Psychological homogeneity in populations leads to "survival of the fittest".
D) Variation in physical traits leads to the "survival of the fittest"



Anaswer: B

Which of the following is true regarding adaptations?

Which of the following is true regarding adaptations?

A) Adaptations are biological traits with the sole purpose of increasing survival.
B) Adaptations are biological traits with the sole purpose of increasing reproductions.
C) Adaptations are useful traits that can be either physiological or psychological in nature.
D) Adaptations are usually for a specific function but are sometimes more generally useful.



Anaswer: C

Which of the following is not one of the essential components of Darwin's original proposal for the theory of natural selection?

Which of the following is not one of the essential components of Darwin's original proposal for the theory of natural selection?

A) There is variation of characteristics amongst individuals in the population.
B) Differences between individuals affect the likelihood of surviving and reproducing.
C) Traits that affect survival and reproduction are heritable.
D) Traits that influence an organism's ability to obtain a mate are heritable through sexual selection.



Anaswer: D

Why does an ant, which belongs to the eusocial hymenoptera, exhibit more violent behaviour towards other ants when they are less related?

Why does an ant, which belongs to the eusocial hymenoptera, exhibit more violent behaviour towards other ants when they are less related?

A) According to Hamilton's rule, a smaller r value corresponds to more altruistic behaviour.
B) A distantly-related ant is less likely to possess the same genes as the actor, resulting in low indirect fitness.
C) A distantly-related ant is less likely to possess the same genes as the actor, resulting in low direct fitness.
D) Aggressive behaviour decreases as the percentage of shared alleles decreases.



Anaswer: B

Which of the following options best summarizes the term "inclusive fitness"?

Which of the following options best summarizes the term "inclusive fitness"?

A) It is calculated as the sum of all offspring your relatives produces.
B) It explains why your sibling has a relatedness coefficient of 0.5
C) It is calculated as the sum of an individual's direct and indirect survival.
D) It explains why you can increase your own fitness by helping relatives.



Anaswer: D

Which of the following scenarios would not be an example of the good of the group?

Which of the following scenarios would not be an example of the good of the group?

A) A whale circles around a group of small fish to confuse them so it can more easily pounce and catch the most fish.
B) A large family of farmers shares the responsibility of gathering food every day for the family, thus no single individual ever has to forage multiple times in one week.
C) A group of zebras has a watcher who looks out for predators as the rest of the group eats plenty of food. They switch who is watching every few minutes.
D) A pair of hawks always hunt together and share the food they catch.



Anaswer: A