Buss - Evolutionary Theory of Personality

Question 1

Buss: What’s another term for artificial selection?

Answer 1

Breeding

Question 2

Buss: ___ ___ is when humans select desirable traits in a breeding species.

Answer 2

Artificial selection

Question 3

Buss: This is similar to artificial selection, but nature selects the traits.

Answer 3

Natural selection

Question 4

Buss: Define sexual selection

Answer 4

When members of the opposite sex find certain traits more appealing and attractive, and thus produce offspring with those traits.

Question 5

Buss: ___ are strategies to solve survival and/or reproductive problems.

Answer 5

Adaptations

Question 6

Buss: Adaptions are strategies to solve which two types of problems?

Answer 6

Survival and reproductive.

Question 7

Buss: ___ ___are traits that happen as a result of adaptations but are not part of the functional design.

Answer 7

By products

Question 8

Buss: What’s an example of noise or random effects?

Answer 8

Innie vs. outie belly button

Question 9

Buss: Random effects that do not affect function are also referred to as ___.

Answer 9

Noise

Question 10

Buss: Changes produced by chance that do not affect function.

Answer 10

Noise or random effects

Question 11

Buss: Evolutionary psychology focuses on ___ big questions.

Answer 11

Four

Question 12

Buss: What are the four big questions in evolutionary psychology?

Answer 12

1. Why is it designed the way it is?
2. How is it designed (parts and structure)?
3. What functions do the parts have?
4. How do the evolved mind and current environment interact to shape human behavior?

Question 13

Buss: Which two problems are solved for by natural selection?

Answer 13

Survival and reproduction

Question 14

Buss: Solutions to survival and/or reproduction are called ___.

Answer 14

Mechanisms

Question 15

Buss: ___ mechanisms are physiological systems evolved for survival.

Answer 15

Physical

Question 16

Buss: ___ mechanisms are internal and cognitive, motivational and personality systems that solve survival and reproductive problems.

Answer 16

Psychological

Question 17

Buss: Psychological mechanisms include ___, motivational and personality systems that solve survival and reproductive problems.

Answer 17

Cognitive

Question 18

Buss: Psychological mechanisms include Cognitive, motivational and ___ systems that solve survival and reproductive problems.

Answer 18

Personality

Question 19

Buss: What are the three groups of psychological mechanisms related to personality?

Answer 19

Drives/goals/motives, emotions and personality traits.

Drive elephants, please

Question 20

Buss: Mechanisms are ___ if they help solve problems of survival or reproduction.

Answer 20

Adaptive

Question 21

Buss: How many dimensions of personality did Buss identify?

Answer 21

Five – surgency, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness/intellect.

Spaghetti And cookies Seem obscene.

Question 22

Buss: Describe surgency

Answer 22

Positive emotional states, sociable, confident.

Question 23

Buss: What’s an evolutionary advantage to agreeableness?

Answer 23

Fosters group cohesion and cooperation.

Question 24

Buss: How does neuroticism provide an evolutionary advantage?

Answer 24

Sensitivity to threats

Question 25

Buss: What’s the flipside to neuroticism?

Answer 25

Emotional stability.

Question 26

Buss: Capacity and commitment to work is typical for one with a high level of ___.

Answer 26

Conscientiousness

Question 27

Buss: The fifth dimension ___/___ , helps with innovation and problem solving.

Answer 27

Openness/intellect

Question 28

Buss: What are the two main sources of the origin of personality?

Answer 28

Environment and genetics.

Question 29

Buss: One misunderstanding of evolutionary theory is that evolution implies genetic determinism. What does this mean?

Answer 29

The misunderstanding is that behavior is solely shaped by genetics. It’s actually shaped by nature and nurture.

Question 30

Buss: The second misunderstanding is that adaptations require ___ mechanisms.

Answer 30

Conscious. The truth is that strategies are not conscious or willful.

Question 31

Buss: The third misunderstanding is that mechanisms are ___ designed.

Answer 31

Optimally. They’re actually awkward, as a result of change over hundreds of generations.

Question 32

Buss: ____ transmission involves single genetics producing single traits.

Answer 32

Monogenic

Question 33

Buss: ____ transmission involves many genes interacting to create a single characteristic.

Answer 33

Polygenic

Question 34

Summarize Buss’ Evolutionary Theory of Personality

Answer 34

• Scientific study of human thought and behavior from evolutionary perspective, focused on four Qs. (Why is the human mind designed as it is? How is it designed – parts and structure? What functions do the parts have? How do the evolved mind & environment interact to shape behavior?)
• Evolution poses two basic problems: survival and reproduction. Solutions are called mechanisms.
• Physical mechanisms include organs/systems.
• Psychological mechanisms include cognitive, motivational, and personality systems (related to personality: goals/drives/motivations, emotions, personality traits).
• Buss’ model (similar to McCrae & Costa Big 5): surgency/extraversion/dominance, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness/intellect.
• Sources of origin of personality: environ. & genetics

Question 35

Evolutionary theory holds that conscious and unconscious thinking, motives, drives, and dreams
Select one:
a. are caused by environmental events alone.
b. are solely caused by biology.
c. are key to motivate people.
d. are ancient.

Answer 35

d. Are ancient