AP Psychology : Evolutionary Principles
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Example Question #11 : Evolutionary Principles
Which of the following answer choices does not accurately describe the theory of natural selection?
Certain variations in biological and physical characteristics increase organisms' reproductive and survival chances in their environment
All of these
Organisms' offspring compete for survival
Offspring that survive are more likely to pass on their genes to future generations and offspring
Natural selection can cause a population's characteristics to change over long periods of time
All of these
Natural selection is a term coined by Charles Darwin that states that the biological and physical traits that lead to an organism's increased survival and reproduction will be the traits that will eventually be passed onto future generations. All of the answer choices accurately describe concepts surrounding the idea of natural selection.
Example Question #1491 : Ap Psychology
According to evolutionary theory, the ability of an octopus to blend into its environment by changing colors is an example of which of the following?
None of these
Adaptation
Fitness
Heritability
Adaptation
Adaptation is an inherited characteristic that increased in a population because it helped solve a problem of survival or reproduction during the time it emerged. For an octopus, blending into their environment is a way to increase survival because predators are less likely to notice the octopus.
Fitness also has to do with evolutionary psychology, but it refers to the reproductive success of an organism. Heritability also sounds like it might be a correct answer because the adaptive ability of blending in might be a trait that was inherited; however, heritability has to do with measuring the tendency for a particular trait to be passed down to a future generation.
Example Question #13 : Evolutionary Principles
Which of the following best describes the concept of adaptation?
Heritable characteristics that provide a survival advantage are more likely than other characteristics to be passed on to subsequent generations
Inherited characteristics that increased in a population because it helped solve a problem of survival when it emerged
Reproductive success of an individual organism relative to the average reproductive success in the population
Inherited characteristics that decrease the probability of an organism's survival or reproductive success
Inherited characteristics that increased in a population because it helped solve a problem of survival when it emerged
Adaptation is best described as inherited characteristics that increase in a population because it helped to solve a problem of survival when it emerged. Adaptation is a process that occurs through natural selection, which is described as heritable characteristics that provide a survival advantage are more likely than other characteristics to be passed on to subsequent generations. The two concepts are very similar, but an organism's adaptation is the result of the natural selection process. The reproductive success of an individual organism relative to the average reproductive success in the population is best understood as that organism's fitness. The remaining option of decreasing the probability of an organism's chance of survival or reproduction is not in line with evolutionary theory, which posits that organisms are becoming increasingly complex and adaptable.
Example Question #1492 : Ap Psychology
Which of the following terms is most commonly associated with the field of evolutionary psychology?
Biofeedback
The unconscious
Kin selection
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
Unconditional positive regard
Kin selection
Evolutionary psychology attempts to explain psychological phenomena under the lens of natural selection. "Kin selection" is the evolutionary strategy that favors the reproductive success of one's biological relatives as opposed to strangers. All of the other answer choices are not associated with the field of evolutionary psychology.
Example Question #1493 : Ap Psychology
Which of the following scientists developed the concept known as natural selection?
Charles Darwin
James Peter
Henry Morgan
James Maas
Daryl Bem
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin believed that organisms produce a greater number of individuals each generation than can actually survive; furthermore, he theorized that those who survived would pass their favorable traits onto future generations. This concept developed into natural selection, a core tenet of evolutionary psychology.
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