Evolutionary Principles - AP Psychology

The corpus callosum is a thick band of nerve fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres of the cerebal cortex. Its main purpose is to facilitate communication between the two hemispheres.

The precentral gyrus and central sulcus are topical features of the brain (a ridge and a groove, respectively) that separate the frontal and parietal lobes.

The medulla oblongata controls our breathing and heart rate. It is located at the base of the brainstem. Note that most structures in the brainstem are associated with essential, involuntary functions.

The cerebellum, located in the rear of the brainstem, helps coordinate our voluntary movements and helps us maintain balance.

The frontal lobe, specifically the prefrontal cortex, is involved in complex decision-making and making goal-oriented plans.

Natural selection is the theory that certain traits become more or less common in a population based on its reproductive success in a group of organisms. Evolutionary (sometimes called Darwinian) psychology studies human thought in the context of Darwinian evolution.

Chromosomes are complex structures that contain a molecule of DNA and a protein. DNA strands contain genetic information.

Darwin's principle of natural selection holds that the genes most likely to increase the chance of survival and reproduction are also the most likely to be passed on. Survival and reproduction are the fundamental basis of Darwin's principles.

There are many dimensions that make the human species united as well as many that differentiate humans from one another One factor that unites humans is the imperative to use language, a trait that has evolved over time to help us communicate and coexist with one another. Other common factors among humans are biological heritage, brain architecture, and social behavior. The ability to eat dairy products and experience empathy are not common to all people, as some people are lactose intolerant, and some are psychopathic, and largely incapable of empathy and sympathy. While a nurturing instinct is extremely common, it is not considered a universally common human trait.

The human species is united on many fronts, namely our social bonding tendencies, inherited mental structures, biological origins, and the predisposition to acquire language. Of course there are exceptions to this, as a variety of disorders may affect our abilities to acquire language, bond socially, or the development of our cognitive functions. These traits are, however, widely observable in the majority of the human species.

The dimensions that make most of us different from one another, both at the individual and societal level, have to do with our personalities, familial upbringing, cultures, and personal interests.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The brain's four lobes are the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, and occipital lobe. Each lobe exists in a distinct part of the cerebral cortex and serves a different primary function. The frontal lobe is located toward the front of the brain, directlly behind the forehead, and is used to process higher level thinking such as conscious thought. The temporal lobe is located toward the outside of the head, behind the temple and ears, and is responsible for auditory processing. The parietal lobe is located superior to (above) the temporal lobe at the top of the head and is primarily responsible for processing motor and sensory functions. The occipital lobe is located at the back of the head and processes visual signals.

The corpus callosum is a thick band of nerve fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres of the cerebal cortex. Its main purpose is to facilitate communication between the two hemispheres.

The precentral gyrus and central sulcus are topical features of the brain (a ridge and a groove, respectively) that separate the frontal and parietal lobes.

The medulla oblongata controls our breathing and heart rate. It is located at the base of the brainstem. Note that most structures in the brainstem are associated with essential, involuntary functions.

The cerebellum, located in the rear of the brainstem, helps coordinate our voluntary movements and helps us maintain balance.

The frontal lobe, specifically the prefrontal cortex, is involved in complex decision-making and making goal-oriented plans.