Question 1

Men who score high on ________ are especially accurate when it comes to judging their mate value, whereas women who score high on ________ are especially accurate when it comes to judging their mate value.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Men who score high on ________ are...

Question 2

Kevin is placing a personal ad in the local paper. According to evolutionary predictions about mate selection, he will most likely mention his ________ when describing himself.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Kevin is placing a personal ad in...

Question 3

All of the following are objections to evolutionary theorizing EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

This is the only option that is not a valid objection to evolutionary theorizing. The other options all raise valid concerns or criticisms about evolutionary theory. Option A questions the testability of evolutionary theories, Option B challenges the assumption of universal reproductive desires, and Option C raises concerns about the degree of biological determinism implied by some evolutionary explanations.

Question 4

In responding to evolutionary theorizing, Eagly and Wood (1999) suggest that ________.

Accepted Answer

Eagly and Wood argue that while biological differences between men and women may play a role in shaping societies' gender norms, it is primarily societal and cultural factors that determine gendered behavior. They suggest that societies' norms reflect men's greater size and strength and women's role in childbearing more than biologically hardwired behavioral tendencies.

Question 5

Kara is placing a personal ad in the local paper. According to evolutionary predictions about mate selection, she will most likely mention her ________ when describing herself.

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary psychology suggests that physical attractiveness is a desirable trait in a potential mate because it represents good genes and reproductive fitness. Therefore, it is likely that Kara will mention her physical attractiveness in her personal ad.

Question 6

There are controversies related to evolutionary theorizing with respect to the difficulty in providing an evolutionary explanation to rare behaviors. This has been called the ________.

Accepted Answer

The term "dilemma of the rarely exercised option" refers to the challenge in evolutionary theory of explaining behaviors that occur infrequently within a population. These rare behaviors pose a problem because evolutionary explanations typically rely on understanding how certain traits or behaviors provide a reproductive advantage. When a behavior is rare, it's harder to identify how it could have been selected for through evolutionary processes.

Question 7

A woman who mates with an unstable but attractive man seems to follow a different reproductive strategy than most other women. This idea is called ________.

Accepted Answer

The sexy son hypothesis proposes that females may choose to mate with attractive but unstable males in order to produce offspring with high genetic quality, specifically in terms of attractiveness. This strategy may be riskier in terms of raising offspring, but the potential benefits in terms of genetic quality may outweigh the risks.

Question 8

For both men and women, those who score high on ________ are especially concerned with finding attractive mating partners, whereas women and men who score low on ________ are concerned with traits related to parenting behaviors.

Accepted Answer

The answer of For both men and women, those who...

Question 9

If Sally believes that anything natural is morally acceptable, she is committing a ________ fallacy.

Accepted Answer

The statement "anything natural is morally acceptable" is an example of a naturalistic fallacy, which asserts that what is natural is also right or good. This fallacy assumes that just because something exists or occurs naturally, it must be morally permissible. However, this is not necessarily the case, as many natural phenomena are morally neutral or even morally problematic.

Question 10

When placing personal ads, women are more likely to specify that they are seeking someone who is ________, whereas men are more likely to specify that they are seeking someone who is ________.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that when placing personal ads, women are more likely to seek men who are older, as they may want someone who is more financially stable and mature. On the other hand, men are more likely to seek women who are younger, as society places a premium on youth and fertility in women.

Question 11

So far, evolutionary psychology has been much more concerned with the origins of ________ than with ________.

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary psychology focuses on understanding universal, general human nature rather than individual differences (such as personality traits). It seeks to explain how our ancestral past has shaped human behavior, emotions, and cognitive abilities that are common to all humans regardless of their personality or cultural differences.

Question 12

A researcher interested in predicting patterns of helping behavior using the concept of inclusive fitness would want to know ________.

Accepted Answer

Inclusive fitness theory posits that individuals are more likely to engage in helping behaviors if the individuals they help share their genes, because helping increases the chance of passing on shared genes. Therefore, a researcher interested in predicting patterns of helping behavior using the concept of inclusive fitness would want to know how much genetic material you share with someone you might help.

Question 13

The point of view that scientists will eventually be able to explain everything about the mind via biology is called ________.

Accepted Answer

Biological reductionism is the point of view that everything about the mind can be reduced to biology and explained in biological terms. This perspective suggests that mental processes and behavior can be understood by studying the workings of the brain and nervous system, and that psychological phenomena can ultimately be explained in terms of biological processes.

Question 14

Across a wide variety of cultures, ________ are more likely than ________ to place a higher value on physical attractiveness.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Across a wide variety of cultures, ________...

Question 15

According to evolutionary theory, a man's greatest worry is that ________.

Accepted Answer

According to evolutionary theory, a man's greatest worry is that he is not the biological father of the children that he is supporting because this would mean he is investing resources in offspring that are not genetically his own and therefore not increasing his own reproductive success. This concept is known as paternal uncertainty or paternal discrepancy. While the other options may also be concerns for men, the biggest concern from an evolutionary perspective is ensuring that one's genes are being passed on to the next generation.

Question 16

What might be the evolutionary function of crying, according to recent research described in the text?

Accepted Answer

Recent research describes crying as a way to elicit social support, which can be crucial for survival and reproductive success in social animals.

Question 17

What term describes the willingness to engage in sexual activities in the absence of a committed relationship?

Accepted Answer

Sociosexuality refers to a person's willingness to engage in sexual activities outside of a committed relationship. Openness to experience and sensation seeking are personality traits that may be associated with sociosexuality, but neither term specifically refers to the willingness to have sex without commitment. Sociometry is a research method used to measure social relationships and preferences.

Question 18

The evolutionary explanation of sex differences in mate selection is that ________.

Accepted Answer

The evolutionary explanation posits that both men and women seek to increase the likelihood of producing viable offspring who will survive, which contributes to the observed differences in mate selection. This explanation is rooted in the fundamental biological goal of passing on one's genes to the next generation.

Question 19

According to evolutionary psychology, which of the following does NOT account for individual differences?

Accepted Answer

According to evolutionary psychology, maladaptive traits, such as neuroticism, are not seen as adaptive and do not ensure the survival of the group. Instead, natural selection would favor individuals who possess traits that promote survival and reproductive success.

Question 20

Much of the world is changing toward a setting where physical strength matters less and alternative child-care arrangements are possible. The view that men's and women's behavioral tendencies are determined by social structure implies that ________.

Accepted Answer

If behavioral tendencies are determined by social structure, then changes in social structure could potentially lead to changes in behavioral tendencies relatively quickly, within a few hundred years or less. However, this is not to say that behavioral tendencies will necessarily change, as there may be other factors at play. The other options (A, C, and D) are less likely based on current evidence and understanding of social and biological factors influencing gender roles and behavior.

Quiz 9: The Inheritance of Personality: Behavioral Genetics and Evolutionary Theory

Men who score high on are especially accurate when it comes to judging their mate value, whereas women who score high on are especially accurate when it comes to judging their mate value.