Assess your understanding of this learning pathway by selecting the correct answer for each of the following questions:

• Which of the follow statements about evolutionary psychology is FALSE?
  • Evolutionary psychology attempts to use adaptive explanations for specific behaviors and mental processes.
    • Incorrect.
  • Evolutionary psychology is interested in patterns of behavior in individuals rather than across a population.
    • Correct.
  • Evolutionary psychology assumes that the evolutionary influence on our behavior is outside of our conscious awareness.
    • Incorrect.
  • Evolutionary psychology cannot eliminate the influence of culture as an alternative explanation for many of its theories and findings.
    • Incorrect.
• Dr. Kurz is studying twins where at least one twin suffers from depression. She finds that both twins are much more likely to share the disorder if they are monozygotic rather than dizygotic twins. What should Dr. Kurz conclude based on her findings?
  • Depression is entirely genetic.
    • Incorrect.
  • The heritability of depression is high.
    • Incorrect.
  • The heritability of depression is low.
    • Incorrect.
  • Monozygotic twins are at a higher risk for depression than non-twins
    • Correct.
• A researcher is studying factors that influence political beliefs (conservative or liberal). She finds that adopted children are more likely to share their political beliefs with their adoptive parents than their biological parents. Which of the following should she conclude?
  • Genes play a role in an individual’s political beliefs.
    • Incorrect.
  • Adoptive parents are more likely to have specific political beliefs.
    • Incorrect.
  • Political beliefs are entirely due to environmental factors.
    • Incorrect.
  • Political beliefs have low heritability.
    • Correct.
• Which of the following is a limitation associated with behavioural genetics?
  • Most traits are not controlled by single genes.
    • Correct.
  • Most diseases are not caused or affected by genes.
    • Incorrect.
  • It places too much emphasis on genetic factors in explaining behavior.
    • Incorrect.
  • It places too much emphasis on environmental factors in explaining behavior.
    • Incorrect.
• Peahens are more attracted to (and thus, more likely to mate with) male peacocks with brightly coloured plumage. This is an example of:
  • a sexual selection strategy.
    • Incorrect.
  • error management.
    • Incorrect.
  • a physiological adaptation.
    • Incorrect.
  • intersexual selection.
    • Correct.
• Research demonstrates that people often feel disgust when they see someone who looks seriously ill. Which of the following explanations of this adaptive behavior aligns with Error Management Theory?
  • People who feel disgust when they seem someone who looks seriously are more likely to survive and therefore more likely to get their genes into the future.
    • Incorrect.
  • Disgust ensures that a person is going to avoid seriously ill people even if they sometimes avoid people with allergies unnecessarily.
    • Correct.
  • Disgust ensures that seriously ill people feel shame, discouraging socialization and thereby limiting the impact their illness has on others.
    • Incorrect.
  • People are attracted to partners who experience disgust in response to someone who seems seriously ill.
    • Incorrect.