Question 1

The sum of an individual's own reproductive success combined with the effects the organism has on the reproductive success of related others refers

Accepted Answer

The sum of an individual's own reproductive success combined with the effects the organism has on the reproductive success of related others is known as inclusive fitness. This concept is central to understanding the evolution of social behavior and altruism.

Question 2

The text's example of an adaptive behavioral trait in rats concerns

Accepted Answer

The text specifically mentions feeding behavior as an example of an adaptive behavioral trait in rats.

Question 3

Your text asserts that school reform should focus on

Accepted Answer

The text suggests that school reform should not focus too much on trying to exercise one side of the brain over the other, but instead should promote more holistic, intuitive thinking that integrates both sides. This aligns with choice D. The text does not advocate specifically for providing more right-brain or left-brain activities, nor is it concerned with ambidexterity.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of behavioral adaptations that is cited in the text?

Accepted Answer

All of the options listed demonstrate examples of behavioral adaptations. Option A shows how rats have developed a behavior to only consume small amounts of unfamiliar foods, which allows them to avoid potential health risks. Option B demonstrates how grasshoppers exhibit a behavior of using pebbles for concealment, which helps them to avoid predators. Option C shows how male black-tipped hanging flies have evolved a behavior of offering food to potential mates, which increases their chances of reproductive success. All three of these behaviors are examples of behavioral adaptations.

Question 5

In a set of identical twins that have been raised together, one of them develops schizophrenia, but the other does not. Which of the unifying themes discussed in the text is this illustrative of?

Accepted Answer

This situation illustrates the theme of the joint influence of heredity and environment on behavior. The fact that the twins have the same genetic makeup and were raised together suggests that their environment was very similar, yet only one twin developed schizophrenia. This suggests that genetics played a role in the development of the disorder, but environmental factors likely also contributed.

Question 6

Current evolutionary theory would suggest that self-sacrifice to protect one's offspring is adaptive because it maximizes

Accepted Answer

Self-sacrifice to protect one's offspring is adaptive because it increases one's inclusive fitness, which takes into account not only an individual's own reproductive success, but also the reproductive success of their relatives who share genes. By sacrificing oneself to protect one's offspring, an individual is increasing the chances that their genes will be passed on to future generations through their offspring. This is why self-sacrifice to protect one's offspring is observed across a wide range of animal species, including humans. Parental investment (A) refers to any investment made by a parent in an individual offspring that increases the offspring's chances of survival and reproductive success at the cost of the parent's ability to invest in other offspring. Genetic drift (B) refers to random fluctuations in the frequency of alleles in a population over time. Genetic flow (C) refers to the movement of genes from one population to another through migration or interbreeding. While both genetic drift and genetic flow can affect the genetic makeup of a population, neither of these processes is directly related to the adaptive value of self-sacrifice to protect one's offspring.

Question 7

Darwin's theory of natural selection is MOST directly related to which of the text's unifying themes in psychology?

Accepted Answer

Darwin's theory of natural selection suggests that certain heritable traits that are advantageous in a particular environment will increase in frequency over time. This highlights the interaction between an organism's genetic makeup (heredity) and its environmental context. This is in line with the unifying theme of "heredity and environment jointly influence behavior."

Question 8

Schizophrenia may be related to abnormalities in neurotransmitter activity, structural defects in the brain and genetic vulnerabilities. These observations MOST directly relate to the text's unifying theme

Accepted Answer

The answer of Schizophrenia may be related to abnormalities in...

Question 9

The text concludes that the suggestion that school systems should be reformed so that more emphasis is placed on teaching the right side of the brain

Accepted Answer

It is impossible to teach just one hemisphere at a time, as both hemispheres are constantly working together in integrated processing. Any attempt to focus solely on one hemisphere would be impractical and unsupported by current understanding of brain functioning.

Question 10

Humans' taste preferences for fatty substances may be one example of

Accepted Answer

Our taste preferences for fatty substances can be considered an adaptation that has become a liability in modern times where food is abundantly available and high-fat foods are easily accessible. This preference may have been beneficial in ancient times when humans needed to consume calorie-dense foods to survive, but in modern times it contributes to obesity and other health problems. Therefore, option B is the best choice.

Question 11

Research involving tasks such as recognizing words or musical melodies has shown that

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that the superiority of one hemisphere over the other is usually quite modest for tasks such as word recognition and musical melody recognition. It is not accurate to say that most tasks are controlled by only one hemisphere or that the dominant hemisphere is always superior. There is also no evidence to suggest that right-handed individuals outperform left-handed individuals on verbal tasks in general.

Question 12

Which of the following does your textbook author suggest is the current status of the research on cerebral specialization?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following does your textbook...

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT an example of a behavioral adaptation?

Accepted Answer

Growing larger beak ornaments in male wild turkeys is a physical or morphological adaptation, not a behavioral adaptation.

Question 14

Contemporary models account for or explain evolutionary theory in

Accepted Answer

Contemporary models that account for or explain evolutionary theory typically do so in genetic terms, focusing on the mechanisms of genetic variation and inheritance that allow for adaptations and evolution to occur.

Question 15

An inherited characteristic that increased in a population (through natural selection) because it helped solve a problem of survival or reproduction during the time it emerged describes

Accepted Answer

An adaptation is a specific trait or characteristic that enables an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment. It is the result of natural selection favoring individuals with advantageous traits that improve their chances of survival and reproduction. Therefore, an inherited characteristic that increased in a population due to natural selection because it helped solve a problem of survival or reproduction during the time it emerged is an adaptation.

Question 16

Since the long necks of giraffes and sharp beaks of woodpeckers allow individuals access to food these physical characteristics are considered to be examples of

Accepted Answer

Physical characteristics that allow individuals to better survive and reproduce in their environment are known as adaptations. Giraffes' long necks and woodpeckers' sharp beaks are examples of physical adaptations that provide access to food resources.

Question 17

In this chapter, we saw that schizophrenia may be a function of abnormalities in neurotransmitter activity, structural defects in the brain, and genetic vulnerability. These findings support which of the following unifying themes of your textbook?

Accepted Answer

The finding that schizophrenia may be caused by abnormalities in neurotransmitter activity, structural defects in the brain, and genetic vulnerability supports the unifying theme that behavior is determined by multiple causes. This theme highlights the idea that there are often multiple factors that contribute to the development of a psychological disorder or behavior, rather than a single cause.

Question 18

The current interest in the right brain/left brain phenomenon highlights the importance of approaching topics such as this from a(n) ____ point of view.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The current interest in the right brain/left...

Question 19

Studying the evolution of behavior is more difficult than studying the evolution of physical traits mainly because

Accepted Answer

The answer of Studying the evolution of behavior is more...

Question 20

Kim is good at reading maps and enjoys listening to music. Some researchers would suggest that these characteristics indicate that Kim is probably

Accepted Answer

The concept of right-brained and left-brained suggests that individuals who are more creative and artistic (such as enjoying music and possibly having a good spatial understanding, like reading maps well) are often considered to be more right-brained. This contrasts with the left-brained individuals who are thought to be more logical and analytical.

Quiz 6: The Biological Bases of Behavior Part 2