Q.1 What is the main mechanism by which evolutionary psychologists explain human behavior?
Cultural trends
Natural selection
Random chance
Social norms
Explanation - Evolutionary psychologists propose that human behavior has been shaped by natural selection to solve adaptive problems in ancestral environments.
Correct answer is: Natural selection
Q.2 Which of the following best defines natural selection?
Organisms choose their traits
Survival and reproduction of the fittest
Random genetic mutations without effect
Cultural adaptation over time
Explanation - Natural selection favors traits that increase an organism’s chances of survival and reproduction.
Correct answer is: Survival and reproduction of the fittest
Q.3 Why are certain fears, like fear of snakes, considered evolutionarily adaptive?
They increase social bonding
They improved survival in ancestral environments
They enhance memory for irrelevant information
They are purely learned through experience
Explanation - Fears of dangerous animals helped our ancestors avoid threats, thus increasing survival chances.
Correct answer is: They improved survival in ancestral environments
Q.4 Which trait is likely to be favored by sexual selection?
Ability to digest lactose
Attractiveness to potential mates
Heightened sense of smell
Ability to survive cold weather
Explanation - Sexual selection favors traits that increase reproductive success, such as physical or behavioral traits that attract mates.
Correct answer is: Attractiveness to potential mates
Q.5 Inclusive fitness explains behavior in terms of:
Only personal survival
Genetic success of relatives
Cultural popularity
Random chance events
Explanation - Inclusive fitness accounts for the survival and reproduction of genes shared with relatives, not just the individual.
Correct answer is: Genetic success of relatives
Q.6 Why might humans exhibit altruistic behavior toward strangers in some contexts?
Cultural pressure only
Kin selection only
Reciprocal altruism
Genetic mutation
Explanation - Reciprocal altruism suggests that helping non-relatives can be adaptive if the favor is returned in the future.
Correct answer is: Reciprocal altruism
Q.7 Which of the following is an example of an evolved psychological mechanism?
Fear of loud noises
Learning algebra
Preference for modern music
Wearing fashion trends
Explanation - Evolved psychological mechanisms are universal mental traits shaped by natural selection to solve adaptive problems.
Correct answer is: Fear of loud noises
Q.8 Parental investment theory predicts that:
All individuals invest equally in offspring
The sex that invests more is choosier in mating
Males are always more invested in parenting
Females avoid caring for offspring
Explanation - Parental investment theory suggests the sex that contributes more to offspring care will be more selective when choosing mates.
Correct answer is: The sex that invests more is choosier in mating
Q.9 Which factor influences the evolution of cooperative behavior?
Immediate rewards only
Kin selection and reciprocity
Random mutation without consequences
Social norms unrelated to fitness
Explanation - Cooperative behavior evolves when it increases the survival of relatives (kin selection) or when cooperation is mutually beneficial (reciprocity).
Correct answer is: Kin selection and reciprocity
Q.10 Evolutionary psychology primarily focuses on:
The role of culture in shaping behavior
How modern environments change behavior
How evolved traits influence human behavior
Strictly genetics without behavior
Explanation - Evolutionary psychology examines how adaptations shaped by natural selection affect cognition, emotion, and behavior.
Correct answer is: How evolved traits influence human behavior
Q.11 Which behavior is most likely explained by kin selection?
A man donates money to a charity
A mother sacrifices for her child
A person volunteers at a community center
A student studies for an exam
Explanation - Kin selection predicts individuals are more likely to help relatives, ensuring shared genes are passed on.
Correct answer is: A mother sacrifices for her child
Q.12 Mate preferences for signs of health and fertility are explained by:
Natural selection
Sexual selection
Cultural learning
Random chance
Explanation - Sexual selection favors traits that improve reproductive success, including preferences for healthy mates.
Correct answer is: Sexual selection
Q.13 Which is an example of an adaptation that solved a problem in ancestral environments?
Cultural festivals
Fear of spiders
Watching television
Using smartphones
Explanation - Adaptations are traits that increased survival or reproductive success in ancestral environments, like avoiding potentially dangerous animals.
Correct answer is: Fear of spiders
Q.14 Reciprocal altruism is most likely to evolve when:
Individuals interact only once
Benefits to the recipient outweigh costs to the donor
Costs to the donor are extremely high
Interactions are purely competitive
Explanation - Reciprocal altruism evolves when helping another provides long-term benefits that outweigh the immediate costs.
Correct answer is: Benefits to the recipient outweigh costs to the donor
Q.15 Which of the following is a criticism of evolutionary psychology?
It ignores the role of natural selection
It underestimates cultural influence
It focuses too much on learning
It denies any genetic basis for behavior
Explanation - Critics argue evolutionary psychology sometimes overemphasizes biological explanations and underestimates the influence of culture.
Correct answer is: It underestimates cultural influence
Q.16 Which type of selection favors traits that improve an individual's chance of mating?
Natural selection
Sexual selection
Artificial selection
Stabilizing selection
Explanation - Sexual selection favors traits that increase reproductive success, often related to attractiveness or competitive ability.
Correct answer is: Sexual selection
Q.17 Which behavior would likely be influenced by evolved psychological mechanisms?
Choosing nutritious food
Writing a novel
Listening to music
Building a skyscraper
Explanation - Evolved psychological mechanisms help humans solve recurrent adaptive problems, like selecting foods high in nutrients.
Correct answer is: Choosing nutritious food
Q.18 What is the main idea behind parental investment theory?
All parents invest equally in children
Parents invest resources in ways that maximize reproductive success
Children invest in parents' well-being
Investment is culturally determined only
Explanation - Parental investment theory predicts that parents allocate resources to offspring to maximize the passing of genes to future generations.
Correct answer is: Parents invest resources in ways that maximize reproductive success
Q.19 Which of the following illustrates an evolved mating strategy?
Preferring short-term mates when fertility is high
Learning to play the piano
Avoiding dangerous jobs
Choosing friends based on hobbies
Explanation - Evolved mating strategies include behaviors that increase reproductive success in different contexts, such as seeking fertile mates.
Correct answer is: Preferring short-term mates when fertility is high
Q.20 Why do evolutionary psychologists study ancestral environments?
To understand current cultural norms
Because traits evolved under those conditions
To predict modern economic trends
To identify ancient technologies
Explanation - Many psychological traits are thought to have evolved to solve problems faced by humans in ancestral environments, so understanding them helps explain current behavior.
Correct answer is: Because traits evolved under those conditions
Q.21 Which is a key principle of evolutionary psychology?
Behavior is entirely learned
Cognitive mechanisms evolved to solve adaptive problems
Cultural differences are irrelevant
Genetic traits are always maladaptive
Explanation - Evolutionary psychology focuses on how mental mechanisms were shaped by natural selection to solve recurrent problems in human evolution.
Correct answer is: Cognitive mechanisms evolved to solve adaptive problems
Q.22 Why might humans have evolved a preference for sweet and fatty foods?
They are always healthy
They provided energy in scarce environments
They are easy to cook
They are culturally symbolic
Explanation - Preferences for energy-dense foods were adaptive in environments where food resources were unpredictable.
Correct answer is: They provided energy in scarce environments
Q.23 An example of sexual dimorphism in humans is:
Different eye colors
Average size differences between males and females
Skin pigmentation
Cultural clothing differences
Explanation - Sexual dimorphism refers to systematic differences between sexes that are often a result of sexual selection.
Correct answer is: Average size differences between males and females
Q.24 Why is cooperation sometimes favored even among non-relatives?
Social norms only
Reciprocal benefits increase survival or reproduction
Genes do not matter
Random chance
Explanation - Reciprocal altruism allows non-relatives to benefit from cooperation, enhancing long-term survival or reproductive success.
Correct answer is: Reciprocal benefits increase survival or reproduction
Q.25 Which factor is most central to natural selection?
Genetic variation and differential reproduction
Cultural learning alone
Random accidents
Historical events
Explanation - Natural selection requires variation in traits and differences in reproductive success among individuals with those traits.
Correct answer is: Genetic variation and differential reproduction