Deck 8: Evolutionary Perspectives on Personality

Question 1

Traits that lead to mating benefits rather than survival benefits are probably

A)the result of sexual selection.
B)the result of survival selection.
C)byproducts of adaptation.
D)evolutionary noise.

Answer 1

the result of sexual selection.

Question 2

The process called natural selection is sometimes also called survival selection as individuals must overcome the

A)hostile forces of nature.
B)impediments to survival.
C)paleontological obstacles.
D)natural adaptations.

Answer 2

hostile forces of nature.

Question 3

These are all components of differential gene reproduction EXCEPT

A)successful mate competition.
B)success at being chosen as a mate.
C)successful group selection.
D)successful survival skills.

Answer 3

successful group selection.

Question 4

According to the inclusive fitness theory, the probability that you will help people depends most on

A)whether or not they are wealthy.
B)how genetically related they are to you.
C)whether or not they are physically attractive.
D)whether or not they are potential mates.

Question 5

_____ are inherited solutions to survival and reproductive problems.

A)Hostile forces of nature
B)Adaptations
C)Mate competition
D)Adaptive problems

Question 6

Darwin is credited as the first to

A)notice that changes in species occur over time.
B)notice that species were adapted to their environments.
C)propose the process by which species adapt to their environments.
D)use the term "survival of the fittest."

Question 7

Shauna knows that men appreciate a woman with very attractive legs.She works out frequently to keep her body in shape and before she goes out for the evening puts on a dress and pair of shoes that accentuate her attractive legs.Shauna is reacting to the _____ pressure exerted by men on women.

A)sexual
B)intersexual selection
C)adaptive
D)intrasexual selection

Question 8

Darwin proposed the theory of sexual selection to account for

A)how organisms respond to the hostile forces of nature.
B)genetic diversity.
C)traits that seem to impede survival.
D)Freudian theory.

Question 9

Differential gene production is defined as

A)the number of different genes an individual passes on to their offspring.
B)an individual's reproductive success relative to that of other individuals of the species.
C)the total number of different genes produced by a species in the gene pool.
D)the ability of an individual to produce different genes in different environments

Question 10

Survival is only important inasmuch as it is necessary for

A)fitness.
B)adaptation.
C)senescence.
D)reproduction.

Question 11

Donald competes to make more money than the rest of his male friends.When he picks the most attractive woman as his spouse, this is an example of _____ selection.

A)intersexual
B)intrasexual
C)natural
D)mate

Question 12

We are all the products of a long line of ancestors that successfully _____ and _____.

A)evolved to near perfection; were physically fit
B)survived to old age; were strong
C)left a long of ancestors; mate guarded
D)survived to reproductive age; reproduced

Question 13

Sheila is going out to a baby shower with her girlfriends.Even though there will not be any men around she goes out of her way to make herself as attractive as she possibly can.This is an example of competition based on ______ selection.

A)intersexual
B)intrasexual
C)innersexual
D)inertsexual

Question 14

Biff works out for hours on end since he knows that women like muscular guys.He is reacting to the ______ selection pressure exerted by human females on males.

A)intersexual
B)intrasexual
C)innersexual
D)inertsexual

Question 15

A peacock's elaborate plumage is probably the result of _____ selection.

A)intersexual
B)intrasexual
C)natural
D)adaptive

Question 16

_____ are the smallest intact unit that can be inherited by offspring.

A)DNA molecules
B)Adaptations
C)Genes
D)Byproducts of adaptations

Question 17

Evolutionary theorists speculate that the mechanism of altruism may have developed to increase

A)altruism.
B)reproductive value.
C)inclusive fitness.
D)adaptive alliance formation.

Question 18

Food shortages, disease, and extreme weather are all examples of

A)adaptations.
B)domain specificity.
C)byproducts of adaptation.
D)hostile forces of nature.

Question 19

_____ refers to the idea that more adaptive variants of a organism replace less adaptive variants of a organism over time.

A)Natural selection
B)Xenophobia
C)Effective polygyny
D)Functionality

Question 20

_____ occur(s) when members of one sex choose mates based on their preferences for particular characteristics in the opposite sex.

A)Intersexual selection
B)Intrasexual selection
C)Reactive heritabilities
D)Adaptive byproducts

Question 21

The "top down" approach or theory driven method of empirical research is also called the _____ approach.

A)inductive reasoning
B)analysis of variance
C)deductive reasoning
D)regression analysis

Question 22

Evolutionary theorists believe the need to belong is at the _____ level of analysis.

A)human nature
B)individual nature
C)individual differences
D)sex differences uniqueness

Question 23

Research on altruism has found that younger individuals are helped _____ than 45-year-old relatives and older individuals are helped _____ than 45-year-old relatives in everyday tasks.

A)less; less
B)more; less
C)more; more
D)less; more

Question 24

_____ may have evolved as a mechanism that functions as a species-typical mechanism that prevents individuals from being socially excluded from a group.

A)Altruism
B)Inclusive fitness
C)Social anxiety
D)Psychopathology

Question 25

Characteristics such as the shape of the human earlobe are most likely

A)auxiliary adaptations.
B)random variations.
C)evolutionary byproducts.
D)functional adaptations.

Question 26

To determine whether something is an adaptation or a byproduct requires knowledge of

A)the range of functioning for the adaptation.
B)the reproductive success gained by the adaptation
C)the adaptation and a description of its nature.
D)all possible by-products of the adaptation.

Question 27

Which of the following is probably not an adaptation?

A)Desire for fatty foods.
B)Mate preferences.
C)Variations in the shape of human ears.
D)Fear of snakes.

Question 28

Research showing that group cohesion increases when resources or survival depend on group membership help support the idea

A)of sexual selection.
B)that humans have a need to belong.
C)of survival selection.
D)that humans have evolved universal emotions.

Question 29

Researchers using the _____ approach observe a phenomenon, and then develop a theory.

A)inductive reasoning
B)deductive reasoning
C)experimental
D)correlational

Question 30

The idea that adaptations solve specific, as opposed to general, adaptive problems is known as

A)domain specificity.
B)functionality.
C)numerousness.
D)species typicality

Question 31

Research on helping and altruism suggest that people

A)help anyone in real need regardless of genetic relatedness.
B)help others by how closely they are genetically related to them.
C)help all genetically relatives roughly the same.
D)always help assist genetically related relatives when asked.

Question 32

The idea of _____ implies/imply that we have mechanisms that are specialized in solving certain adaptive problem an individual encounters.

A)cognitive complexity
B)domain specificity
C)evolutionary niches
D)prototypicality

Question 33

If we successfully selected our mates based on our food preferences the mechanism of _____ would NOT be functioning.

A)cognitive complexity
B)domain specificity
C)species typicality
D)prototypicality

Question 34

The idea that adaptive problems accomplish specific adaptive goals is known as

A)specificity.
B)functionality.
C)specialization.
D)attenuation.

Question 35

Anything that impedes survival or reproduction is a(n)

A)evolutionary block.
B)adaptive problem.
C)evolutionary byproduct.
D)systematic variation.

Question 36

Harry is very loyal to his old army unit.They have reunions and regularly keep in touch with each other.Membership in Harry's army unit most likely has elicited _____ in that group of war veterans.

A)a strong need to belong
B)strong memory biases
C)strong altruistic tendencies
D)strong militaristic bonds

Question 37

The incidental effects produced by adaptations are called

A)evolutionary byproducts.
B)random variations.
C)domain specific adaptations.
D)functional adaptations.

Question 38

Which of the following is an example of an adaptation that is probably NOT adaptive in today's environments?

A)Social anxiety
B)Xenophobia
C)Sexual selection
D)Sexual desire

Question 39

_____ is probably the result of the human evolutionary history of living in social groups.

A)Sexual desire
B)Our "sweet tooth"
C)The need to belong
D)Sexual dimorphism

Question 40

_____ emerge from and interact with recurrent structures of the world in a manner that solves adaptive problems and aids in reproductive success.

A)Strategies
B)Adaptations
C)By-products
D)Dimorphisms

Question 41

More homicides can be explained by _____ than any of the other evolutionary phenomenon.

A)intrasexual competition
B)intersexual competition
C)frequency dependent selection
D)the human need to belong

Question 42

From an evolutionary perspective, women will most generally prefer males who

A)are extremely attractive, even if they are not wealthy.
B)accrue resources and invest them in a particular woman.
C)are assertive and aggressive towards other males.
D)have large-sized sexual cells (gametes).

Question 43

Cross-cultural studies of jealousy have found

A)jealousy is more pronounced in Western cultures than in Asian cultures.
B)the double-shot hypothesis shows cross cultural consistency.
C)women in Asian cultures are more upset by sexual infidelity than men.
D)there is strong evidence for universal sex differences in jealousy across cultures.

Question 44

Which species has the greatest degree of effective polygyny?

A)Elephant seals
B)Chimpanzees
C)Humans
D)Dogs

Question 45

George shows off his new baby to the neighbors.The baby looks more like George's mailman than George.George could be doubting his

A)child's attachment.
B)certainty of paternity.
C)parenting skills.
D)neighbor's judgment.

Question 46

When asked how many sexual partners they desired over their lifetimes, women

A)wanted more sexual partners compared to men.
B)wanted fewer sexual partners compared to men.
C)wanted an equal number of sexual partners as men.
D)usually refused to answer the question.

Question 47

Buss and his colleagues found that when men imagined that their partner's were committing sexual infidelity

A)they became very aggressive and physically violent.
B)they began plotting their revenge on their partners.
C)their heart rates and skin conductance levels increased.
D)they had increased activity in the parasympathetic nervous system.

Question 48

In life or death situations the primary variable that predicts helping behavior is the _____ of the person in need of assistance.

A)age
B)sex
C)ethnicity
D)environment

Question 49

Research suggests that in a famine situation, _____ are most likely to receive help.

A)infants
B)older children
C)adults
D)elderly adults

Question 50

A study conducted by Clark and Hatfield found that about _____ percent of men agreed to have sex with an attractive stranger of the opposite sex.

A)0
B)25
C)75
D)100

Question 51

Which of the following is NOT an adaptive problem faced by women?

A)Finding a good mate
B)Securing resources
C)Parental uncertainty
D)Mate guarding

Question 52

Research on homicides indicates that _____ are most likely to kill _____.

A)men; women
B)men; men
C)women; men
D)women; women

Question 53

According to the "double-shot" hypothesis of sex differences in jealousy,

A)men are more upset by sexual infidelity than emotional infidelity.
B)women are more upset by emotional infidelity than sexual infidelity.
C)men and women have different beliefs about infidelity.
D)women usually are twice as upset at second instance of infidelity

Question 54

Evolutionary theory predicts sex differences in jealousy due to

A)sexual dimorphism.
B)effective polygyny.
C)paternal uncertainty.
D)intrasexual competition.

Question 55

These are all components of the "double-shot" hypothesis EXCEPT

A)men and women are equally upset by sexual infidelity.
B)men assume that sexual infidelity by a woman implies emotional infidelity.
C)women assume that emotional infidelity by a man implies sexual infidelity.
D)women made jealous by males will take a "shot" at men by making them jealous.

Question 56

According to evolutionary theory, a man would be most upset by his female mate's _____.

A)sexual fantasies
B)emotional infidelity
C)sexual dimorphism
D)sexual infidelity

Question 57

According to evolutionary theory, which of the following is most important to a woman? That her mate is

A)physically attractive.
B)emotionally faithful.
C)conscientious.
D)sexually faithful.

Question 58

The idea that some males will have more offspring than others is best described as

A)intersexual selection.
B)intrasexual selection.
C)survival selection.
D)effective polygyny.

Question 59

If the sex ratios between males and females are about the same and one man has several mates the other men must, by default, be without a mate.This is an example of _____ polygny.

A)strategic
B)effective
C)selective
D)differential

Question 60

Research by Paul Ekman and his colleagues has demonstrated that emotional expression

A)differs widely across cultures.
B)can be identified by people in diverse cultures.
C)can be identified by people in similar cultures only.
D)serve no adaptive function.

Question 61

Research on sex differences in interest in sexual variety finds that

A)women would be much more interested in casual sex if they felt it was safe.
B)most women refuse casual sex even if a friend ensures that the man is trustworthy.
C)men and women do not differ in the amount of sexual fantasy.
D)men and women do not differ in the content of their sexual fantasies.

Question 62

The theory of frequency-dependent selection would state that as a the number of women in the population use a restricted mating strategy for attracting men the

A)number of sexy sons in the population will increase.
B)number of men willing to invest in their children will increase.
C)average success of the restricted mating strategy will decline.
D)restricted mating strategy will become a human nature level characteristic.

Question 63

Some women prefer mates who will invest in their offspring, while other women prefer mates with good genes.This suggests

A)an environmental effect that influences personality.
B)an adaptive self-assessment.
C)frequency-dependent selection strategies.
D)sex differences in jealousy.

Question 64

Psychopathy may be an effective strategy for some people in the population to be reproductively successful based on the _____ theory.

A)frequency-dependent
B)mental health
C)double shot
D)individual differences

Question 65

The presence or absence of a father during early childhood is an example of _____ that is associated with individual differences.

A)an environmental effect
B)an adaptive self-assessment
C)frequency dependent strategy
D)sex role effect

Question 66

Women who pursue an unrestricted mating strategy prefer men _____ than women who pursue a restricted mating strategy.

A)who will invest significantly more in their children
B)who are significantly more physically attractive
C)who have a much better set of personality traits
D)who will make strong commitments to their relationship

Question 67

Men and women value _____ equally in potential mates, but men place more value on _____.

A)physical attractiveness; earning potential
B)physical attractiveness; a good personality
C)a good personality; physical attractiveness
D)earning potential; physical attractiveness

Question 68

Something that is _____ is a secondary consequence of a heritable trait.

A)intersexually selected
B)intrasexually selected
C)reactively heritable
D)an adaptation

Question 69

An explanation for individual differences in behavior from an evolutionary perspective is that

A)individual differences are genetic errors across individuals.
B)they are the result of environmental differences that affect species-typical mechanisms.
C)they are the result of differential intersexual selection in the environment.
D)they are random variations in species-typical psychological mechanisms.

Question 70

The "structural powerless hypothesis" states that

A)men prefer women that have fewer resources then they do so that can structure the relationship to make the women powerless.
B)women value men with resources as they are shut out of the capacity to acquire their own resources.
C)low status men will be shut out of the mating pool by males with high status and great resources.
D)women are attracted to men that they can manipulate to be powerless over them.

Question 71

Research suggests that girls who grew up in father-absent homes

A)are less sexually promiscuous.
B)began menstruating earlier than girls whose fathers had lived in their homes.
C)are shorter in height.
D)have more children.

Question 72

Alma believes in long-term relationships.She will not date divorced men and does not believe in premarital sexual intercourse.She is most likely pursuing a(n) _____ mating strategy.

A)restricted
B)indiscriminate
C)unrestricted
D)coy

Question 73

According to research, which variable is most predictive of interest in casual sex?

A)Gender, i.e., male versus female
B)Safety concern
C)Relationship status (single or not)
D)The manner in which the question is asked.

Question 74

Humans may have evolved _____, so that they may notice and remember those individual differences that are most relevant for solving social-adaptive problems.

A)difference detecting mechanisms
B)individual differences
C)unrestricted mate competition
D)the five factor model of personality

Question 75

The idea that a man might decide on a particular social strategy based on how he views himself is an example of

A)an environmental effect.
B)an adaptive self-assessment.
C)a frequency-dependent alternative strategy.
D)xenophobia.

Question 76

Evolutionary psychologists have placed comparatively little emphasis in their research efforts upon _____.

A)the human nature level of analysis.
B)sex differences in behavior.
C)individual differences in behavior.
D)species typical phenomenon.

Question 77

Rhonda only dates men that she finds to be extremely physically attractive.She is not as concerned about having a man who will commit to a relationship with her, or much about the man's past relationships.Rhonda is most likely pursuing a(n) _____ mating strategy.

A)restricted
B)unrestricted
C)shallow
D)independent

Question 78

In some contexts two or more heritable variants evolve in a population.This is called

A)frequency-dependent selection.
B)adaptive self-assessment.
C)xenophobia.
D)the double-shot hypothesis

Question 79

Buss and his colleagues have found that women place more importance on earning potential in potential mates than men do

A)in the majority of the 37 cultures that were studied.
B)only in the individualistic western cultures that were studied.
C)in cultures where men control more resources than women.
D)in the traditionally paternalistic cultures that were studied.

Question 80

Competition that tends to be very intense among individuals using the same strategy may lead to the development of

A)adaptive self-assessments.
B)frequency-dependent alternative strategies.
C)double-shot hypotheses.
D)variant competitive strategies.