Question 1

An evolutionary explanation of mate preferences might suggest that women seek men with high status because:
A) they confer the prestige of their status on their partners
B) they have more resources with which to support their families
C) their high status implies good genetic potential for intelligence
D) their high status implies good adaptive skills

Accepted Answer

Women seeking men with high status may be an evolutionary strategy to ensure the availability of resources to support their families and increase their chance of survival and reproductive success.

Question 2

According to sexual strategies theory, men and women differ in their sexual behaviour because they:
A) operate under different cultural constraints
B) face different adaptive problems
C) have different distributions of hormones
D) differ in their levels of erotic plasticity

Accepted Answer

Sexual strategies theory posits that men and women differ in their sexual behaviour because they face different adaptive problems. Men typically have a greater desire for sexual variety and short-term mating, while women prioritize mate quality and long-term commitment due to the greater physical and reproductive costs of pregnancy and childbirth. This sex-specific adaptation is thought to have evolved to maximize reproductive success. Cultural constraints, hormone distributions, and levels of erotic plasticity may influence sexual behaviour to some extent, but they are not the primary drivers of sex differences in human mating strategies.

Question 3

Olivia has recently started taking an antidepressant that increases levels of serotonin. You might expect that she will start to:
A) experience less pleasure from sex
B) have more interest in sex
C) experience more pleasure from sex
D) have less interest in sex

Accepted Answer

One common side effect of increased serotonin levels is a decrease in sex drive, which means that Olivia might have less interest in sex.

Question 4

Makena and her husband have always had a good sexual relationship. However, after she started taking antidepressants, Makena started losing interest in sex. The most likely reason is:
A) higher levels of serotonin
B) lower levels of estrogen
C) lower levels of oxytocin
D) higher levels of testosterone

Accepted Answer

Antidepressants, particularly SSRIs, can increase serotonin levels, which can lead to decreased libido as a side effect.

Question 5

Short-term eating control primarily involves ____________; long-term regulation of body fat primarily involves ____________.
A) leptin; glucose
B) glucose; leptin
C) glucose; glucose
D) leptin; leptin

Accepted Answer

The answer of Short-term eating control primarily involves ____________; long-term...

Question 6

Men and women have a(n) ____________ number of sex hormones, but ____________ amounts of each hormone.
A) equal; equal
B) equal; different
C) different; different
D) different; equal

Accepted Answer

Men and women have an equal number of sex hormones, but different amounts of each hormone.

Question 7

Animals that lack the gene needed to produce ____________ become extremely obese.
A) glucose
B) ghrelin
C) leptin
D) androgen

Accepted Answer

Leptin is a hormone produced by adipose tissue that regulates energy balance by suppressing appetite and increasing energy expenditure. Animals that lack the gene for leptin production become extremely obese due to uncontrolled overeating and reduced energy expenditure. Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates appetite, but a lack of it does not lead to obesity. Glucose and androgen do not have a direct role in regulating appetite and energy balance.

Question 8

An evolutionary explanation of mate preferences might suggest that men seek physically attractive women because:
A) their attractiveness will facilitate the partner's sexual capacity
B) their attractiveness confers higher status on their partners
C) their attractiveness indicates higher probable levels of fertility
D) highly attractive women are also assumed to have other positive qualities

Accepted Answer

According to evolutionary theory, men prefer physically attractive women because attractiveness is often an indicator of youth and fertility, which are important for reproductive success.

Question 9

Marte has just lost 15 pounds. Even though she has developed better eating habits and is thrilled by her new weight, she finds that she has a stronger urge to eat and a desire to eat more frequently than she did even before she lost the weight. The most likely reason for Marte's problem is:
A) an increase in ghrelin
B) a decrease in glucose
C) a decrease in leptin
D) b and c

Accepted Answer

The answer of Marte has just lost 15 pounds. Even...

Question 10

Many university students spend a year studying in another country. The country where they are studying will often have different attitudes and practices concerning sex. A female student's sexuality is likely to be ____________. A male student's sexuality is likely to be ____________.
A) changed by any other culture; unchanged by any other culture
B) unchanged by any other culture; changed by any other culture
C) changed by a more conservative culture; changed by a less conservative culture
D) changed by a less conservative culture; changed by a less conservative culture

Accepted Answer

A female student's sexuality is likely to be unchanged by any other culture, while a male student's sexuality is likely to be changed by a less conservative culture.

Question 11

The most important hormone for sexual functioning in men is ____________ and in women is ____________.
A) testosterone; estrogen
B) estrogen; estrogen
C) testosterone; testosterone
D) androgen; progesterone

Accepted Answer

The answer of The most important hormone for sexual functioning...

Question 12

Women have more choice and control of their sexuality than females of many species. This is largely because of the lesser effect of ____________ on women.
A) oxytocin
B) androgen
C) nitric oxide
D) estrogen

Accepted Answer

The answer of Women have more choice and control of...

Question 13

Maeve skipped breakfast and her stomach is growling. When she starts to eat, you would predict that her stomach contractions will ____________ and she will ____________.
A) stop very quickly; keep eating after they stop
B) take time to subside; stop eating as soon as they stop
C) take time to subside; keep eating after they stop
D) stop very quickly; stop eating as soon as they stop

Accepted Answer

The answer of Maeve skipped breakfast and her stomach is...

Question 14

Men's basic sexual strategy involves having multiple partners and investing relatively little in any of the resulting children. But evolutionary psychology argues that people are motivated not only to reproduce, but to have their offspring survive to adulthood so they can also reproduce. This suggests that men ought to have a second sexual strategy in which a man:
A) chooses women capable of raising their children alone
B) provides resources to raise all of his children
C) commits to one woman and helps raise their children
D) a and c

Accepted Answer

Men can have two sexual strategies, one involving having multiple partners with minimal investment and the other involving committing to one woman and providing resources to raise their children or choosing women who are able to raise their children alone. By choosing women who are capable of raising their children alone, men ensure that their offspring have a higher chance of survival. By committing to one woman and helping raise their children, men ensure that their offspring have access to resources and protection, which increases their chances of survival and reproductive success. Therefore, both options a and c are viable strategies for men interested in ensuring the survival and reproductive success of their offspring.

Question 15

When people meet on the Internet they have the freedom to present themselves in any way that they please. Research on mating strategies suggests that to be most successful in generating interest from the opposite sex, men should present themselves as ____________ and women should present themselves as ____________.
A) professionally successful; physically attractive
B) physically attractive; physically attractive
C) intelligent; kind
D) professionally successful; intelligent and kind

Accepted Answer

The answer of When people meet on the Internet they...

Question 16

Jack enjoys erotic movies and wishes that his wife would watch them with him, but she says that she just does not enjoy them. Based on current research, you could suggest to Jack that his wife might enjoy erotic movies more if:
A) he chose erotic films developed for women
B) had them watch erotic films when his wife was ovulating
C) created a romantic environment for watching erotica
D) a and b

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that women may respond more positively to erotic films developed for women and may also experience increased sexual interest during ovulation.

Question 17

Massoud is an international student studying in Canada. In his culture women are expected to be very modest. He really likes Hillary, a Canadian girl whom he has gotten to know in his art history class. However, Massoud is distressed and is re-evaluating his opinion of Hillary because she spontaneously kissed him on their second date. Though she probably did not realize it, Hillary has:
A) offended Massoud's sense of his masculinity
B) violated Massoud's cultural script
C) implied a more serious relationship than Massoud assumed
D) made Massoud fearful of being trapped

Accepted Answer

Massoud's culture values modesty in women and may perceive public displays of affection as inappropriate behavior. Therefore, Hillary's spontaneous kiss would be a violation of his cultural script and may make him re-evaluate his opinion of her. It does not necessarily imply a more serious relationship or make Massoud fearful of being trapped, as those are not explicitly mentioned in the scenario.

Question 18

A group of rats has had an area of their brains damaged, resulting in a disruption of sexual behaviour. The area that was damaged was most likely the:
A) amygdala
B) hypothalamus
C) prefrontal cortex
D) cerebellum

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamus is a critical brain region involved in regulating sexual behaviour in both males and females. Damage to this area can lead to disruptions in normal sexual functioning, including reduced libido, difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection or ejaculation, and an overall decrease in sexual interest and satisfaction. The amygdala is more involved in emotional processing, while the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum are not typically associated with sexual behaviour.

Question 19

The finding that men would like to have more sexual partners than would women makes sense from the perspective of evolutionary psychology. This is because:
A) women lose value as potential mates with each additional partner
B) having multiple partners makes men appear more desirable
C) women are less likely to have healthy babies with multiple partners
D) men can increase their number of offspring with multiple partners

Accepted Answer

According to evolutionary psychology, men have a greater desire for multiple sexual partners because they can potentially increase their number of offspring, while women are more selective in their choice of partners because they have a limited number of viable eggs and a greater investment in each pregnancy. Therefore, having multiple sexual partners does not confer the same reproductive benefit for women as it does for men.

Question 20

Cross-culturally, comparisons of sexual motivation in men and women have found that:
A) men and women have roughly equal sexual motivation
B) women have equal sexual motivation but are more culturally constrained
C) men have a higher level of sexual motivation
D) differences between men and women are culture specific

Accepted Answer

Studies have consistently found that men have a higher level of sexual motivation compared to women, regardless of culture or location. However, it should be noted that individual differences and cultural norms can also play a role in shaping sexual motivation.

Quiz 9: Motivation and Emotion

An evolutionary explanation of mate preferences might suggest that women seek men with high status because:

According to sexual strategies theory, men and women differ in their sexual behaviour because they:

Olivia has recently started taking an antidepressant that increases levels of serotonin. You might expect that she will start to:

Makena and her husband have always had a good sexual relationship. However, after she started taking antidepressants, Makena started losing interest in sex. The most likely reason is:

Short-term eating control primarily involves ; long-term regulation of body fat primarily involves .

Men and women have a(n) number of sex hormones, but amounts of each hormone.

Animals that lack the gene needed to produce ____________ become extremely obese.

An evolutionary explanation of mate preferences might suggest that men seek physically attractive women because:

Marte has just lost 15 pounds. Even though she has developed better eating habits and is thrilled by her new weight, she finds that she has a stronger urge to eat and a desire to eat more frequently than she did even before she lost the weight. The most likely reason for Marte's problem is:

Many university students spend a year studying in another country. The country where they are studying will often have different attitudes and practices concerning sex. A female student's sexuality is likely to be . A male student's sexuality is likely to be .

The most important hormone for sexual functioning in men is and in women is .

Women have more choice and control of their sexuality than females of many species. This is largely because of the lesser effect of ____________ on women.

Maeve skipped breakfast and her stomach is growling. When she starts to eat, you would predict that her stomach contractions will and she will .

When people meet on the Internet they have the freedom to present themselves in any way that they please. Research on mating strategies suggests that to be most successful in generating interest from the opposite sex, men should present themselves as and women should present themselves as .

Jack enjoys erotic movies and wishes that his wife would watch them with him, but she says that she just does not enjoy them. Based on current research, you could suggest to Jack that his wife might enjoy erotic movies more if:

A group of rats has had an area of their brains damaged, resulting in a disruption of sexual behaviour. The area that was damaged was most likely the:

The finding that men would like to have more sexual partners than would women makes sense from the perspective of evolutionary psychology. This is because:

Cross-culturally, comparisons of sexual motivation in men and women have found that: