Deck 9: The Evolutionary Viewpoint: Personality As an Adaptive Process

Question 1

The evolutionary viewpoint of personality assumes that individual differences in the______ of personality are based on principles of evolutionary psychology.

A) operation
B) development
C) expression
D) b & c
E) a, b, & c

Answer 1

a, b, & c

Question 2

From the evolutionary viewpoint, variation in such physical characteristics as height and brute strength and personality characteristics such as cooperativeness and aggressiveness have emerged because they:

A) Provide a biosocial basis of identity
B) Help individuals to adapt to environmental changes
C) Illustrate how physical characteristics evolve from personality characteristics
D) Illustrate how personality characteristics evolve from physical characteristics
E) The reciprocal nature of c & d

Answer 2

Help individuals to adapt to environmental changes

Question 3

A basic task associated with the evolutionary perspective is:

A) Survival
B) Reproduction
C) Cognition
D) a & b
E) a, b, & c

Answer 3

a & b

Question 4

Individuals of a particular northern tribe have been able to survive the increasing harsh winters that have been occurring over the past several generations due to shifting environmental atmospheric pressures by becoming more and more aggressive and looting the harvests of neighboring tribes while the more passive members of other tribes have disappeared due to starvation. This process of personality change illustrates the process of:

A) Natural serialization
B) Natural determinism
C) Natural selection
D) Natural adaptedness

Question 5

The process of adaptive behavior is illustrated by:

A) The automatic tendency for individuals to cooperate over many generations has led to their survival
B) The genetic basis of individuals to form social hierarchies for the sake of defining various tasks has helped them survive over many generations
C) Watching what other individuals do successfully in the presence of dangers over many generations has led an instinctive "fight-or-flight" response
D) b & c
E) a, b, & c

Question 6

The logic accounting for the competition for hunting of animals engaged in by our prehistoric ancestors and those today "hunting" for a better job to earn more money to buy food is consistent with the process of:

A) Competitiveness of environmental responsiveness (CER)
B) Evolutionary adaptive transition (EAT)
C) Environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EEA)
D) Behavior regression regiment (BRR)

Question 7

If you want to live longer, you should try to:

A) Become more conscientious
B) Increase your level of cohesiveness
C) Improve your degree of optimism
D) a & b
E) a & c

Question 8

The offspring of Cara and Charlie will have a better chance a living longer because they both tend to have a high sense of coherence, which means they:

A) Are very cautious about taking physical risks and avoiding stress
B) Tend to be very expressive regarding their emotions
C) Tend to view life as being meaningful, manageable, and understandable
D) Have a philosophy of life based on a spirituality
E) a & d

Question 9

Heidi tends to keep her emotions bottled up inside, which might explain why her:

A) Cardiologists told her she is a high-risk candidate for heart disease
B) Dietitian told her she drinks too many energy drinks to keep herself driven
C) Clinical psychologists described her in his notes as having a Type D personality
D) a & b
E) a & c

Question 10

Helen and Harry are both Hostile Type A personalities. They both have a reduced tendency for longevity because they probably:

A) Show a high degree of conscientiousness and coherence in their work and interpersonal interactions
B) Are more likely to abuse alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
C) Experience more intense physical stress within their immune system
D) a & c
E) b & c

Question 11

Steve and Sarah are biologically able to have children while separate medical examinations indicate that both Helen and Harry are capable of having child but are not reproducing. Helen and Harry would be considered to be _____ individuals.

A) dysfunctionally infertile
B) organically infertile
C) functionally infertile
D) genotypically infertile
E) operationally infertile

Question 12

A problem for individuals who are capable of reproduction but do not seem to be reproducing because of a lower rate of sexual intercourse is that such individuals tend to:

A) Be overweight
B) Score higher on measures of harm avoidance
C) Be high on sex guilt
D) Have few friends
E) a, b, c, & d

Question 13

Males with high fertility rates tend to:

A) Be physically attractive and self-confident
B) Be extraverted and socially assertive
C) Score low on sex-guilt and high on thrill-seeking measures
D) Have many friends and be socially active
E) a, b, c, & d

Question 14

From the principles based on the evolutionary viewpoint, gender differences in personality exist because:

A) Men are more likely to be susceptible to the principles associated with the task of survival than women
B) Women are more susceptible to the principles associated with the task of reproduction than males
C) Such differences have evolutionary significance for the tasks of survival and reproduction for both men and women
D) a & b
E) a, b, & c

Question 15

Ellen is reading the responses to the personal ad she posted on an online dating service. She is attracted to one response where the individual indicates that he has a financially secure job that involves a lot of world travel and would like to get married and start a family with "the right person." While Ellen is pleased that he has a good job, she is concerned about him being out of town too much to have a long-term relationship. Ellen is engaging the process of ________ in the evaluation of potential mates.

A) cost-benefit analysis
B) relational-resource allocation
C) material-affective abstraction
D) parental-invest adaptation
E) heart-hearth assessment

Question 16

As an example of a cost-benefit analysis for fostering longevity, the tendency for individuals across many generations around the world to display a sense of compassion, as well as a variation among people in the degree of compassion, illustrates the basic evolutionary principles of:

A) Survival
B) Reproduction
C) The evolution of individual differences
D) a & c
E) a, b, & c

Question 17

An examination of the artifacts of an ancient population in the central region of a southern continent indicates that as climate change over many hundreds of years became much colder, these individuals became more adventurous, bold, and aggressive. Such change in the nature of their personality illustrates the emergence of variation in individual differences as a result of the which environmental constraint?

A) The frequency-adaptation based on the variation in personality that was expressed
B) Where the field-dependency of the variation in personality was expressed
C) How the covert expression of the variation in personality occurs
D) When in time the variation in personality occurs

Question 18

An examination of the artifacts of an ancient population in the central region of a southern continent indicates that as climate change over many hundreds of years became much colder, these individuals became more adventurous, bold, and aggressive. On the opposite side of the world, as the climate change over many hundreds of years became much warmer, the individuals became more cooperative and passive. Such change in the nature of their personality illustrates the emergence of variation in individual differences as a result of which environmental constraint?

A) Where the variation in personality occurred
B) How the fixed-action pattern of the variation in personality was expressed
C) How the biosocial-frequency sequence became dominant
D) When in time the field-dependency of the variation in personality was eliminated

Question 19

Dana has been a bartender at the Study Hall bar for ten years. She notices that as the number of women in the bar increases relative to the number of males, there is a tendency for the males to be less generous with their tips and more unfriendly when interacting with her and the other women. Based on the process of ________, such variation in the expression of generosity and friendliness seems to be based on the males feeling that such traits are not that important when there are many more women than men at the bar.

A) frequency-dependent selection
B) intersexual-affective display
C) epigamic-distribution deviation
D) natural-selection allocation

Question 20

While there are certain evolutionary benefits to the expression of extraversion, some evolutionary costs seem to be that of:

A) Being more sexually and physically active
B) Saving less resources and being more impulsive
C) Having fewer offspring and being more wasteful of resources
D) Being less involved with the community and more concerned with socializing
E) Having a greater likelihood of being hospitalized and arrested

Question 21

The evolutionary value of the Five-Factor Model dimension of Neuroticism is that neurotic individuals have a greater likelihood of surviving because they:

A) Are overly cautious and attuned to danger
B) Make better mates due to their heightened emotional sensitivity
C) Seem to be more able to obtain material resources
D) a & c
E) b & c

Question 22

A cost-benefit analysis of the Five-Factor Model dimension of Conscientiousness suggests that:

A) A benefit is that it is associated with a longer life expectancy
B) A cost is that it is associated with a lower likelihood of reproductive success
C) A benefit is that such individuals are at less risk for certain eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
D) a & b
E) b & c

Question 23

Some of the evolutionary benefits of scoring high on the personality dimension of Agreeableness for Agreeable Anne is that she:

A) Tends to be sympathetic to the emotional states of others
B) Avoids interpersonal conflict and hostility
C) Is not very competitive
D) a & b
E) a, b, & c

Question 24

An evolutionary cost of individuals low on the personality dimension of Agreeableness is that they tend to:

A) Contribute an increased sense of interpersonal hostility towards others
B) Contribute to a lack of trust in others
C) Create a decreased willingness to cooperate with others
D) a & b
E) a, b, & c

Question 25

Sexual selection involves the process by which an organism's characteristic features evolve to promote the greatest likelihood of:

A) Successful mating
B) Emotional well-being and the promotion of stability
C) Personality consistency across generations
D) a & c
E) a, b, & c

Question 26

Eddie has been working at the Bookworm Bookmart at the mall for the past two summers. From the "Self-Enhancement" section of bookstore, he notices that women tend to purchase diet books more than men but that men tend to purchase books on financial investing more than women. Such tendencies are an example of:

A) Sexual-differentiation
B) Gender serialization
C) Sexual intellectualism
D) Sexual selection
E) Cognitive sexualism

Question 27

The idea that "Traits that increase the probability of successful reproduction will tend to increase in frequency" is a basic assumption of the:

A) Arousal hypothesis
B) Principle of social investment
C) Propagation of parental selection
D) Sexual selection

Question 28

Although they are unaware of their separate conversations, John and his buddies and Janet and her friends all talk about wanting to find as spouses someone who is good looking, physically fit, smart, and cooperative. Such preferences for specific characteristics in mates for the purposes of passing on these preferred characteristic to their offspring is an example of:

A) Echogenic maximization
B) Intersexual sequencing
C) Intrasexual preference
D) Epigamic selection
E) Generational sequencing

Question 29

Which example illustrates the process of intrasexual competition?

A) A group of females seeing who wear the tightest, sexiest jeans to the club
B) A group of males seeing who can buy the greatest number of drinks for women at the bar
C) A group of males and females doing a line dance on the dance floor after have seeing who could drink the most
D) a & b
E) b & c

Question 30

Based on the process of differential parental investment, Bob would probably select as a potential mate:

A) Diane York, a plan-looking but healthy woman
B) Yolonda Youthful, a physically attractive model with health issues
C) Mary Money, a rich but unattractive woman
D) a or b
E) b or c

Question 31

According to sexual selection, which of these features do males consider important in the selection of a mate:

A) Expressive skills
B) Movement flexibility
C) Breast-to-hip ratio
D) a & c
E) b &c

Question 32

Elaine is thinking about getting a new hairstyle to update her photograph on the web page she maintains on an online dating service to help improve her dating frequency and the possibility of finding someone as she states "for starting out as friends in the hopes of friends becoming a couple who have a couple of kids someday." As an evolutionary personality psychologist, you would advise Elaine to:

A) Cut her hair so that it is shorter than most other women
B) Dye her hair either brown or black to appear more sophisticated
C) Get a hair style that is short on the sides but high on the top to look less angular
D) Get hair extensions to make her hair longer and herself appear younger

Question 33

Based on the process of differential parental investment, Alice would probably select as a potential mate:

A) Bruce Wayne, the very wealthy crime fighter
B) Terry Talker, the verbally expressive psychotherapist
C) Lenny Levelhead, a cautious accountant
D) Sammy Wheeler, the adventurous auto racer

Question 34

According to mate sexual selection, a female tends to be concerned with selecting a mate who:

A) Is taller than she is
B) Is has a low level of testosterone-related features
C) Has an athletic shoulders-to-hip ratio
D) a & c
E) a, b, & c

Question 35

Jason is the center on the college basketball team while Joe is the smartest guy in the physics club. David is the president of student government while Sammy is an all-conference sprinter in the 100-year dash. Because they are all short of money, someone in a class they are all taking suggests that they could make some extra money by becoming sperm donors. When these guys meet at a party two months later, _____ is probably going to have made the most money.

A) Sammy
B) Jason
C) David
D) Joe

Question 36

Based on the principles of sexual selection, women tend to express a greater preference for masculine features in their potential mates when:

A) They are in the mid 30s to mid 40s
B) The males are in their mid 20s to mid 30s
C) They are in the most fertile phase of their ovulatory cycle
D) They experience menopause
E) They are in the highest point of their menarche phase

Question 37

You are the marketing director for a new fitness facility in town. When developing your marketing material based on the evolutionary viewpoint, you would be advised to mention that your facility has a special program:

A) Directed at males titled 'Getting Bigger, Looking Stronger"
B) For females titled "Getting Smaller, Looking Healthier"
C) For females designed to build muscle mass titled 'Wonder(ful) Woman"
D) a & b
E) b & c

Question 38

You are consulting with a group of evolutionary personality psychologists regarding developing an web site to focus on males who are seeking to make themselves more appealing to women in other countries. They would most likely advise you to instruct these males to include information on their profiles that emphasize their:

A) Educational level, such as the schools from which they graduated and degrees obtained
B) Socioeconomic status, such as the price of their house compared to the average price of the houses in their neighborhood
C) Level of intelligence, such as class ranking at graduation (e.g., 7th out of 300 classmates)
D) a & c
E) a, b, & c

Question 39

As a demonstration of the global consistency of mate value, it was noted that:

A) Males prefer females who were more attractive than themselves
B) Females prefer males whose educational level and social position were greater than their own
C) Males and females prefer to have a wealthy mate
D) a & b
E) a, b, & c

Question 40

According to sexual selection, when writing a personals ad, both males and females would include what characteristic features in their desired mate?

A) Kind and understanding
B) Intelligent and exciting
C) Good cook and good with children
D) a & b
E) a & c

Question 41

According to sexual selection, when writing a personals ad, males and females would prefer their desired mate to be _____ themselves on positive characteristics, such as conscientiousness.

A) higher than
B) lower than
C) equal to
D) none of the alternatives; it only matters for negative characteristics

Question 42

According to sexual selection, when writing a personals ad, males would include what characteristic features in their desired mate?

A) Good looking
B) Good cook
C) Frugal
D) a & b
E) a, b, & c

Question 43

While developing his profile on a dating service where he hopes to find someone for a "long-term relationship that could lead to marriage," Robert provides a list of book titles that he asks the female visitors to his site to note if they have read. Based on the evolutionary principles associated with characteristics males tend to prefer when selecting mates, the women who are
Most likely to get a reply from Robert would be those who indicate they have read:

A) "Fitness for Busy Females," which focuses on health and beauty tips
B) "Cooking for Taste but Not Calories," which focuses on being a good cook
C) "Living Better By Spending Less," which focuses on living within a budget
D) b & c
E) a, b, & c

Question 44

Females prefer mates with the characteristic of being:

A) Low on the trait of dominance
B) Ambitious
C) Fond of children
D) b & c
E) a, b & c

Question 45

As a mate retention strategy, a male is more likely to:

A) Go out and by a new car
B) Shower potential mates with gifts
C) Show his compassionate tendencies
D) a & b
E) a & c

Question 46

As a mate retention strategy, a female is more likely to:

A) Alter her physical appearance to look younger
B) Go out and buy a new car
C) Show her compassionate tendencies
D) a & c
E) b & c

Question 47

Robert is trying to think of ways to begin an affair with his best friend's girlfriend with the hopes of making her his girlfriend. Robert's efforts are an example of:

A) Mate stealing
B) Mate pilfering
C) Mate reallocation
D) Mate larceny
E) Mate poaching

Question 48

Both Jack and Jill are married to other individuals. They first met at a weekly poetry workshop held at a local church. Over time, their love for poetry blossomed into a love for each other. As a result they decided to divorce their respective spouses and get married. Their actions illustrate:

A) Dual-mate selection
B) Co-mate poaching
C) Intrusive-mate pilfering
D) Deceptive-mate reallocation
E) Intersexual-mate stealing

Question 49

Mate-poaching Millie is thinking about having an affair with her best friend's boyfriend, Alex, until she leaves for college in a few weeks. What characteristic(s) would be high on her list of preferences in Alex?

A) His good-looking body and handsome looks
B) His good job and expensive car
C) The care he shows towards children.
D) a & b
E) a & c

Question 50

Mate-poaching Martha is thinking about having an affair with her best friend's boyfriend, Eddie, with the hope of this developing into a long-term relationship. What characteristic(s) would be high on her list of preferences in Eddie?

A) His good-looking body and handsome looks
B) His good job
C) The care he shows towards children
D) a & b
E) b & c

Question 51

Mate-poaching Mel is thinking about having an affair with his best friend's girlfriend, Sue, until he leaves for college in a few weeks. What characteristic(s) would be high on his list of preferences in Sue?

A) Her conscientiousness
B) Her hints that she is open to the affair
C) Her warm and funny personality
D) a & b
E) a & c

Question 52

In a global comparison of mate poaching, it was reported that the percentage of males engaging in mate poaching:

A) Exceeded that of females in the four underdeveloped regions of the world but was similar in the six developed regions of the world examined
B) Exceeded that of females in all 10 regions of the world examined
C) Was considerably greater to that of females in the regions of North American and Western Europe but about equal in the regions of Oceania and the Middle East
D) Was similar to that of females in the most religious regions around the world

Question 53

In a global comparison of the personality characteristics of mate poachers, which of the self-descriptions would be most likely associated with an individual who would attempt to poach the mate of others?

A) Christina says she is careless
B) Denise says she is disagreeable
C) Eddie says he is extraverted
D) a & b
E) b & c

Question 54

In the examination of mate poaching across a variety of cultures around the world, scores on the Sexy Seven measure were associated with mate poaching:

A) To a greater degree for men than with women
B) To a greater degree for women than men
C) In a pattern consistent for men and women across the cultures investigated
D) To a greater degree for wealthy men and poor but highly attractive women
E) To a greater degree for physically attractive young males and females and wealthy males

Question 55

In a global comparison of the personality characteristics of successful mate poachers, individuals who were successful at poac hing the mates of others tended to score:

A) High on the dimension of Open to Experience
B) High on the dimension of Sexual Attractiveness
C) Low on the measure of Relationship Exclusivity
D) b & c
E) a, b, & c

Question 56

In a global comparison of the personality characteristics of successful mate poachers, females who were successful at poaching the mates of others tended to:

A) Be high Sensation Seekers
B) Have a high level of testosterone
C) Display a high score on the Affective-Erotic Scale
D) Have an Erotophilic Disposition
E) a & b

Question 57

Around the world, the tendency to be _______ was found to be associated with those individuals who were successful mate poachers.

A) conscientious
B) wealthy
C) cunning
D) easily aroused
E) attractive

Question 58

A global comparison of the characteristic features of those individuals who are targets of mate poaching suggests that such individuals are likely to:

A) Be extraverted
B) Be erotophilic
C) Describe themselves as being attractive
D) a & b
E) a, b, & c

Question 59

A global comparison of the characteristic features of those individuals who were successfully poached away from their partner suggests that such individuals are likely to:

A) Be less conscientious (i.e., score low on the Conscientiousness dimension)
B) Less sexually faithful (i.e., have a low score on Relationship Exclusivity)
C) Be erotophilic (i.e., score high on the Erotophilic Disposition)
D) a & c
E) b & c

Question 60

The evolutionary advantage of jealously for a male is that it:

A) Reduces the likelihood of supporting offspring that are not his
B) Reduces the likelihood of losing resources and support to a romantic rival
C) Increases the likelihood that his genes will survive into the next generation
D) a & b
E) a & c

Question 61

The evolutionary advantage of Veronica being jealous of Betty is reducing the likelihood of:

A) Knowing which of her offspring belong to both her and Archie
B) Losing Archie's material resources and support to Betty
C) Archie abandoning her for Betty
D) b & c
E) a, b, & c

Question 62

In response to his suspicious feelings of jealously, Ron is:

A) Likely to ask his wife to take a paternity test after she gives birth
B) More likely to forgive his wife for her physical but not emotional infidelity
C) More likely to show a stronger emotional reaction to news that his wife is in love with the other man than the news that she had sex with him
D) Forgive his wife as long as she says she no longer has feelings for the other man

Question 63

In response to her suspicious feelings of jealously, Sue is:

A) More likely to forgive her husband for his physical but not emotional infidelity
B) More likely to show a stronger emotional reaction to news that her husband is in love with the other woman than the news that he had sex with her
C) More likely to terminate their relationship because of his sexual infidelity than his emotional infidelity
D) a & b
E) b & c

Question 64

Archie displays a stronger reaction to the rumors that Veronica is having sexual relations with Jughead than the news that she is falling in love with him because of the increased stress created:

A) By the possibility of having to supporting offspring that are not his
B) By the greater demands that will be placed on him to try an keep their relationship together
C) By the increased likelihood that she will abandon him for Jughead
D) a & b
E) b & c

Question 65

65 Veronica displays a stronger reaction to the news that Archie maybe falling in love with Betty than his confession that he is having a sexual affair with her because of:

A) The additional stress this news will create for her to try to keep their relationship together
B) The possibility of losing Archie's material resources and support to Betty
C) The possibility of Archie abandoning her for Betty
D) a & c
E) a, b, & c

Question 66

When attempting to increase their mate potential, women, compared to men, are more likely to spend money on:

A) Increasing their reproductive potential
B) Enhancing their physical appearance
C) Improving their financial status
D) Augmenting their functional utility
E) a, b, c, & d

Question 67

According to consumer spending on cosmetic products based on the evolutionary viewpoint, to secure a loan from the bank to start a business that specializes in is cosmetic surgery for men called "Heads Up," you state in your business plan that your business will focus on:

A) Chemical peels for bald men
B) Liposuction and facial skelatherapy surgery
C) Hair transplants and hair restoration
D) a & b
E) a & c

Question 68

You are a broker at an investment firm that specialized in short-term investments that offer a higher yield than most other firms but are rated as more risky. From the evolutionary viewpoint, your investments would be most appealing to:

A) Single men who are dating
B) Married men with children
C) Single women who are dating
D) Married women with children

Question 69

You are a broker at an investment firm that specialized in long-term investments that offer a lower yield than most other firms but are rated as less risky. From the evolutionary viewpoint, your investments would be most appealing to:

A) Single men
B) Married men
C) Single women
D) Married women

Question 70

As the auditor of an auto parts company, you suspect that some of the sales representatives are increasing their income by padding their expense reports. Based on the evolutionary viewpoint, which sales team's sale reports would you expect to find the fraudulent records?

A) Albert and Carol, who cover the west part of the city
B) Sue and Jane, who cover the east part of the city
C) Ron and Steve, who cover the north part of the city
D) b & c

Question 71

You are the owner of a powerboat dealership. To maximize your sales, you should spend your advertising budget on ads that are designed to appeal to:

A) Married men with children
B) Single women who are dating
C) Married women with children
D) Single men who are dating

Question 72

As an expression of intrasexual competition, while on spring break at a beach resort, you are likely to observe male college students engaging in leisure activities that are expressions of:

A) Visceral symmetry
B) Affective superiority
C) Cognitive redundancy
D) Emotional stability
E) High risk

Question 73

When examining gender differences in gift-giving strategies from the evolutionary viewpoint, it was reported that the strongest motive for men to give gifts was to:

A) Seek forgiveness after an argument
B) Demonstrate a sense of reciprocity
C) Indicate equality in a relationship
D) Displaying generosity
E) Create a good impression

Question 74

As a salesclerk employed at a gift shop working on commission, you are likely to make the most money if you target your efforts towards:

A) Males who are buying gifts for women with whom they hope to become sexually involved
B) Males who are buying gifts to impress a new female romantic interest
C) Males who are buying gifts for women that they have been sexually involved with for an extended period of time
D) a & b
E) b & c

Question 75

When examining gender differences in gift-giving strategies from the evolutionary viewpoint, it was reported males believed that their female partners used the motive of _____ when giving gifts to a greater degree than did they.

A) establishing equality in the relationship
B) exhibiting emotional control
C) displaying long-term interest
D) initiating physical intimacy
E) seeking relational reciprocity

Question 76

When examining gender differences in gift-giving strategies from the evolutionary viewpoint, it was reported females perceived that they used the motive of _____ when giving gifts to a greater degree than did their male partners.

A) displaying generosity
B) establishing affective certainty
C) demonstrating intrasexual exclusivity
D) exhibiting emotional control
E) preventing mate poaching

Question 77

Katie says to a group of her female friends that she has developed really good "gift-giving radar" when receiving gifts from guys she has dated over the years to avoid:

A) Wasting her time with guys who are not serious about a long-term relationship
B) Guys who are not sincere
C) The possibility of having a baby with a guy who will not share the financial responsibility
D) a & c
E) a, b, & c

Question 78

While going to college full-time, Stu is working part-time at a local fast-food restaurant during the holiday season so he can save money to purchase gifts for various individuals. Based on the evolutionary viewpoint, what individual is likely to receive the most expensive gift from him?

A) Stacey, his girlfriend
B) His favorite Aunt Annie who always buys him a really great gift
C) Joe, his best friend since high school
D) Julie, his boss at work

Question 79

For young adults, gift giving from the evolutionary viewpoint seems to be based on:

A) Maximizing reproductive success
B) Genetic similarity
C) Minimizing genetic drift
D) Biological extension
E) Indices of heredity

Question 80

From the evolutionary perspective, factors contributing to the problem of obesity include:

A) The presence of brain mechanisms similar to those of our hunting-and-gathering ancestors
B) The reduced effort and energy necessary to obtain the food we eat today
C) The greater variety of foods available for us to eat today
D) a & b
E) a, b, & c