Discuss the importance of evolutionary psychology in studying human development.

What will be an ideal response?


Answers will vary. The field of evolutionary psychology studies the ways in which adaptation and natural selection are connected with mental processes and behavior. One of the concepts of evolutionary psychology is that not only physical traits but also patterns of behavior, including social behavior, evolve and are transmitted genetically from generation to generation. In other words, behavior patterns that help an organism to survive and reproduce are likely to be transmitted to the next generation. Such behaviors are believed to include aggression, strategies of mate selection, even altruism-that is, self-sacrifice of the individual to help perpetuate the family group.

Psychology

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A situation in which people say nothing, assuming that everyone else in the group understands and fully agrees with what is going on, is known as pluralistic _______

Fill in the blank(s) with correct word

Psychology

Sleep research supports three "helpful hints" to avoid insomnia. Which of the following statements is NOT a helpful hint?

a) Wind down before going to sleep. b) Exercise regularly. c) Try to nap as much as possible. d) It is better to go to bed at about the same time every night.

Psychology

Children who suffer child abuse experience epigenetic changes. Which of the following is not true of these changes?

A. They are associated with long-lasting effects on stress hormone responses. B. They are associated with later medical problems. C. They are reversible if the children receive attentive caregiving. D. They are restricted to a small set of candidate genes.

Psychology

Which of the following statements about Levinson's findings is true?

A) Many men remained unsettled in their thirties, often because they added an occupational or relationship commitment. B) Not until middle age did many women reach career maturity and take on more authority in the community. C) To create an early adulthood culminating life structure, women usually "settled down" by focusing on certain relationships and aspirations. D) For both men and women, a second transition occurred around age 25.

Psychology