2. Psychological Foundations

Question 1

Three products of Evolution

Answer 1

Adaptations, by-products, random effects (noise)

Question 2

What is an adaptation?

Answer 2

An inherited and reliably developing characteristic that came into existence through natural selection because it helped to solve a problem of survival or reproduction during the period of its evolution

Question 3

What are by-products?

Answer 3

Characteristics that do not solve adaptive problems and do not have functional design; they are carried along with characteristics that do have functional design because they happen to be coupled with those adaptations

Question 4

Noise

Answer 4

Random effects produced by forces such as chance mutations, sudden and unprecedented changes in the environment, or chance effects during development

Question 5

Characteristics of adaptations

Answer 5

• Reliability: solves the problem dependably in context that it is encountered
• Efficiency: solves problem in proficient manner
• Economy: in cost effective manner
• Precision: component parts are specialized for achieving a particular end

Question 6

Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness

Answer 6

The statistical composite of selection pressures that occurred during an adaptation’s period of evolution responsible for producing the adaptation

Question 7

Levels of Evolutionary Analysis

Answer 7

General Evolutionary Theory
Middle Level Evolutionary Theories
Specific Evolutionary Hypotheses

Question 8

Evolutionary hypotheses

Answer 8

Highly testable and capable of being falsified when evidence fails to support predictions

Question 9

Strategies for