PSY-203 CHP 2 Flashcards
The evolutionary process by which the best-adapted individuals of a species survive and reproduce is called ______ selection.
NATURAL SELECTION
According to evolutionary psychology, natural selection favors behaviors that
increase reproductive success.
Which of the following statements describes a main idea of David Buss’s theory of evolutionary psychology?
Evolutionary processes can influence not only our physical features but also our decision making, aggression levels, fears, and mating patterns.
David Buss has argued that:
evolution shapes behaviors and thought patterns, not just physical traits.
The growth of the human brain and gaining the experiences necessary to master the complexities of our human society takes place in the extended ______ period of the life span.
childhood
In ___ theory, what matters is that individuals live long enough to reproduce and pass on their characteristics.
evolutionary
As the environment changes, some species adapt in a way that helps them survive and reproduce, while other species do not adapt well and die. This process is called
natural selection
How are characteristics that suit a species for survival transmitted from one generation to the next?
genetic code from parents
Which psychological approach emphasizes the importance of adaptation, reproduction, and survival of the fittest in shaping behaviors?
evolutionary psychology
___ are threadlike structures made up of strands of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
chromosomes
What is the complex molecule, shaped like a spiral staircase, that contains genetic information?
DNA
The statement that is not typically held by evolutionary developmental psychologists is:
“All evolved mechanisms are adaptive in contemporary society.”
Evolutionary developmental psychologists recognize that while many evolved psychological mechanisms were adaptive in ancestral environments, they may not necessarily be adaptive in contemporary society due to rapid societal changes.
What unit of hereditary information is composed of short segments of DNA?
genes
Which of the following could be a possible explanation for why evolution would favor longevity?
“Having older people around to care for children increases children’s survival rate.”
Longer-lived individuals can contribute to the survival and success of their offspring and kin by providing care, support, and wisdom, thereby increasing the likelihood of their genes being passed down to future generations.
The building blocks of cells that regulate and direct body processes are called
proteins
Human traits and characteristics that are genetically influenced have an evolutionary history that is
retained in our DNA
The complete set of developmental instructions for creating proteins that initiate the making of a human organism is the
human genome
Genes are passed from generation to generation through three processes, called mitosis, meiosis, and ___
fertilization
Which of the following is a double-helix shaped molecule that contains genetic information?
DNA
Which of the following happen during mitosis?
- A cell’s nucleus duplicates itself.
- Two new cells are formed.
___ control the reproduction of cells and the assembly of proteins.
genes
How many chromosomes does a gamete, or sex cell, have?
23
Sex cells (gametes) are unique; they have only 23 unpaired chromosomes. Two of them fuse at conception to produce a zygote with 46 chromosomes.
Genes direct cells to reproduce themselves, whereas ______ are the building blocks of cells.
proteins
Which of the following is true of the genetic material of a zygote?
Each parent contributes half the offspring’s genetic material.
During fertilization, the sperm cell from the father and the egg cell from the mother each contribute half of the genetic material to form a zygote with the full complement of 46 chromosomes.