FE16

Question 1

Define reproductive immunomodulation (also called reproductive immunosuppression) and provide an ultimate explanation for this phenomenon

Answer 1

• During ovulation, it’s more of a risk…

* How your immunity goes down; so you don’t accidently kill a fetus so you don’t accidently mistake it for a pathogen

Question 2

By altering their behavior, people are able to influence the likelihood that they will contract a contagious disease. In light of the fact that disease is a significant factor diminishing fitness, provide an ultimate explanation as to why people do not take maximal precautions to avoid disease at all times

Answer 2

• Take too many resources

* Your body has mechanisms to fight disease

Question 3

Describe two pieces of evidence that support the contention that evolved mechanisms
shape behavior in ways that compensate for reproductive immunomodulation

Answer 3

• Women are more sensitive to skin quality which is an indicator of health
• Fessler and navarrette’s results, women were more likely to experience sexual disgust during times of conception risk—during times of ovulation

Question 4

Some investigators have theorized that the ultimate function of sexual disgust is to reduce exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. Contrasting this hypothesis with the explanation of sexual disgust presented in lecture, describe the divergent predictions (one each) generated by the two perspectives with regard to changes over time in sexual disgust (be sure to explain the logic of each prediction), then describe the evidence that indicates which prediction is likely correct.

Answer 4

• Higher levels of sexual disgust if immune system (progesterone level high) was really low
• Fessler and narrette say sexual disgust would occur at highest ovulation/fertility stage
o In his study, there was positive correlation between sexual disgust and conception risk