Question 1

The author of the text notes that any theory of evolution needs at least two components. One of which is?

Accepted Answer

Any theory of evolution requires both an engine of change to introduce variations and a mechanism for preserving these changes across generations.

Question 2

In Lamarck's Romantic theory of evolution, the engine of change was proposed to be:

Accepted Answer

Lamarck's Romantic theory of evolution proposed that the engine of change was a living species' innate drive to perfect itself, which was also known as the principle of use and disuse. According to this theory, organisms could pass on acquired traits to their offspring, leading to gradual evolution over time. This concept was later disproven by the discovery of genetics and natural selection.

Question 3

Darwin knew the cause of selection must reside outside the organism but where? He got his answer in 1838 by ______.

Accepted Answer

Darwin was struggling with the question of what drives natural selection when he came across Thomas Malthus's Essay on the Principles of Population. Malthus argued that populations tend to grow exponentially, while resources grow linearly, leading to competition for resources and ultimately, the survival of only the fittest individuals. This idea provided the missing piece of the puzzle for Darwin, who recognized that this mechanism of competition for limited resources was what drove natural selection.

Question 4

After reading Thomas Malthus's Essay on the Principles of Population Darwin got the idea that:

Accepted Answer

Darwin got the idea that it was the struggle for survival, as described by Malthus, that caused natural selection. He saw that organisms competed for limited resources and that those with advantageous traits were more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on those traits to future generations. He did not agree with the idea of species striving for perfection or the inheritance of acquired characteristics.

Question 5

Both Lamarck and Darwin proposed theories of evolution. The most important difference between them was that:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Both Lamarck and Darwin proposed theories of...

Question 6

T. H. Huxley played a key role in 19^th century science by:

Accepted Answer

T. H. Huxley was a prominent advocate of Darwin's theory of evolution and played a key role in popularizing it, particularly in the scientific community.

Question 7

According to Herbert Spencer, the evolutionary function of consciousness is:

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Herbert Spencer, the evolutionary function...

Question 8

Which of the following contemporary research programs best exemplifies the individual question asked by the psychology of adaptation?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following contemporary research programs...

Question 9

One question raised by any theory of evolution involves the question of when a creature grows up, how it can be seen as adapting psychologically to the environment in a way analogous to organic evolution. This question leads to the study of learning. This question is known as the ___.

Accepted Answer

The question described does not specifically match the terminology of the species question, vitalism question, or pragmatic question, thus it is not accurately labeled by any of these options.

Question 10

Which of the following ideas is not contained in or implied by Herbert Spencer's evolutionary psychology?

Accepted Answer

Different species possess different kinds of minds.

Question 11

Joe believes that the government should do nothing to help the poor, weak and helpless and that natural selection should be allowed to take its course with the human species. Joe's belief best matches the ideas of:

Accepted Answer

Joe's belief aligns with the idea of Social Darwinism, which applies Darwin's theory of natural selection to society and human behavior. It suggests that any intervention by the government to help the poor or weak will interfere with the natural progress of society and hinder the advancement of the human species.

Question 12

Asking how different species have acquired different mentalities as a result of evolution is asking the __________ question.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Asking how different species have acquired different...

Question 13

The idea that government should not do anything to ameliorate the condition of the poor, because doing so would interfere with evolution is called:

Accepted Answer

The idea that government should not intervene in the economy or in the social lives of people is known as Laissez-faire. Eugenics is the belief in improving the genetic quality of the human population through selective breeding or other means. Embodied Cognition is a theory in cognitive psychology that states that the body influences thinking processes. Social Darwinism, on the other hand, is the idea that individuals and societies evolve and improve through natural selection, and that government intervention to help the poor would interfere with this natural process.

Question 14

Positive eugenics refers to:

Accepted Answer

Positive eugenics refers to the promotion of traits considered desirable for reproduction and encouraging those individuals who possess such traits to have more children. It does not involve preventing the "unfit" from having children or refusing to interfere with natural selection. Genetic engineering may be a form of positive eugenics, but it is not the only approach.

Question 15

Francis Galton was deeply worried that:

Accepted Answer

Francis Galton was concerned about the decline of average intelligence in Britons. He believed that this decline was caused by the more intelligent individuals having fewer children, while the less intelligent individuals had more children. He called this phenomenon "regression towards mediocrity."

Question 16

Galton coined the term eugenics to refer to:

Accepted Answer

Galton coined the term eugenics to refer to the selective breeding of human beings, specifically to improve the genetic composition of the human population by promoting the reproduction of those with desirable traits and limiting the reproduction of those with undesirable traits.

Question 17

E. G. Boring once remarked that although American psychologists got their brass instruments and degrees from Wundt, they got their inspiration from:

Accepted Answer

E. G. Boring noted that American psychologists were inspired by Francis Galton, who was instrumental in the development of psychological testing and the quantification of mental abilities.

Question 18

The author of the texts states that Wundt wanted to understand only the normal adult mind. Galton wanted _______.

Accepted Answer

The author states that Wundt only wanted to understand the normal adult mind, while Galton wanted to understand any human mind. This suggests that Galton did not limit his studies to only normal adults or abnormal minds. Therefore, the best choice is D, to study any human mind.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of positive eugenics?

Accepted Answer

Positive eugenics involves promoting the reproduction of individuals with desirable traits. Giving prizes for high IQ people who marry is an example of positive eugenics as it encourages the reproduction of individuals with high intelligence. Sterilization of low IQ people and isolating them in institutions are examples of negative eugenics, which involves preventing the reproduction of individuals with undesirable traits.

Question 20

The early method used by the first animal psychologists to study animal behavior (e.g. Romanes) was the ________ method, which many American psychologists like Thorndike would later reject.

Accepted Answer

The early method used by the first animal psychologists like Romanes was the anecdotal method, which relied on personal observations and stories about animal behavior. However, many American psychologists like Thorndike rejected this method because it lacked objectivity and scientific rigor.

Quiz 10: The Psychology of Adaptation