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Question 1

Sensing

Answer 1

Detecting + endcoding raw sensory data

Question 2

Perception

Answer 2

Processes in our
mind that interpret and make sense of the sensory information that
has been detected

Question 3

Descent Illusion

Answer 3

The brain constructs your reality to motivate you to pull away from threats or move towards oppurtunities

Question 4

Error Management Theory

Answer 4

our evolved perceptual system is designed to nudge us in the direction of less
costly errors/ favors decisions that reduce risk of severe consequences

Question 5

Pain

Answer 5

Internal motivator that prompts us to avoid things that lead to poor reproductive success

Question 6

Biophilia

Answer 6

Human motivation to connect w/ nature, driven by our evolutionary history, and is evident in our enjoyment of natural environments (parks, trees, landscapes)

Question 7

Leptin

Answer 7

a hormone produced by fat cells. It helps regulate appetite and energy expenditure. When you have more body fat, you produce more leptin. This hormone signals the brain to reduce appetite and increase energy expenditure, helping to maintain a healthy weight.

Question 8

Flavor

Answer 8

the molecules in the
food (for example, glucose) interact with receptors on our tongue,
and then the receptors send messages to our brain that create the
perception of flavor. The sensory impression of food or other substance; it is
determined primarily by the chemical senses of taste and smell.

Question 9

Omnivore’s Dilemma

Answer 9

Challenges faced by humans in choosing what to eat in a world with a vast and diverse food supply…our evolved taste system helps by 1) rewarding beneficial tastes 2) creating aversions to harmful ones

Question 10

secondary plant compounds

Answer 10

• Significance: Influence how we perceive a food’s flavor
• Def: chemicals produced by plants that are not essential for the plant’s basic survival but help protect them from threats (like pests)

Question 11

Fiber

Answer 11

Indigestible part of plants + food, good for our microbiome

Question 12

Microbiome

Answer 12

Helps break down food + absorb nutrients + regulate immune system

Question 13

Food Disgust

Answer 13

Designed to help us avoid the foods that are most likely to cause harm

Question 14

critical learning period

Answer 14

a time period that sets the parameters for how our disgust system operates

Question 15

Embyro Protection Hypothesis

Answer 15

suggests that women have evolved to experience nausea and vomiting during early pregnancy as a protective mechanism for the developing embryo. This discomfort may deter women from consuming potentially harmful substances or engaging in activities that could endanger the fetus.

Question 16

Teratogens

Answer 16

substances or agents that can cause birth defects or abnormalities in a developing embryo or fetus (ex: alcohol, radiation, etc)

Question 17

Pathogens

Answer 17

disease-causing organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. They can infect a host and cause illness or disease and are unobservable

Question 18

Predator Fear

Answer 18

a motivational system designed to attend to + rapidly learn the specific cues that signal a risk of predation in that particular environment

Question 19

Evolutionary Arms Race

Answer 19

the ongoing competition between species, where adaptations in one species lead to corresponding adaptations in another species. This can result in a cycle of continuous evolution as each species tries to outdo the other.

Question 20

Apex Predators

Answer 20

Anything that charges/is large (wild cats, humans)

Question 21

Savannah Theory

Answer 21

Humans are especially attracted to environments that mimic the EEA corresponding to the savannah