Deck 9: Sexual Selection

Question 1

Compared with other primates, including humans, chimpanzee testicles are quite large; this is due to

A) female choice.
B) same-sex competition.
C) sexual swelling.
D) sperm competition.

Answer 1

sperm competition.

Question 2

T-shirt studies have shown that women prefer men whose

A) genes are dissimilar to their own.
B) marital status is single.
C) odor is similar to their own.
D) testosterone levels are high.

Answer 2

genes are dissimilar to their own.

Question 3

In a woman's menstrual cycle, the _____ phase is when the egg is being developed, and the _____ phase is just after the egg is released.

A) follicular, ovulatory
B) hormone, pheromone
C) nonreceptive, receptive
D) premenstrual, postmenstrual

Answer 3

follicular, ovulatory

Question 4

Research has shown that females are more likely than males to seek a mate who is wealthy; wealthy females place _____ emphasis on the financial status of their mate.

A) about the same
B) even more
C) practically no
D) somewhat less

Question 5

Compared with other primates, human male penises are quite large; this is due to

A) female choice.
B) same-sex competition.
C) sexual swelling.
D) sperm competition.

Question 6

Bressan and Stranieri suggest that human females have evolved a dual mating strategy. More specifically, females prefer men with good _____ for long-term relationships and men with good _____ for short-term relationships.

A) parenting skills, sex skills
B) personality, looks
C) prospects, incomes
D) resources, genes

Question 7

Pawlowski and Dunbar (1999) developed a measure of "market value" of males and females based on both number and characteristics of mates sought. In this report, it was determined that men in their _____ and women in their _____ were most in demand.

A) early 30s, late 20s
B) late 20s, early 20s
C) late 30s, mid 20s
D) mid 30s, early 30s

Question 8

In what have been called "t-shirt" studies, females were asked to rate the smell of t-shirts worn by men the night before. During the ovulation phase of the menstrual cycle, when females are most likely to become pregnant, females choose shirts belonging to males that

A) already had sex with them.
B) can provide resources.
C) have symmetrical bodies.
D) practice good hygiene.

Question 9

When comparing humans to other primates, human differences between males and females suggest that sexual selection

A) has played an important role.
B) has weaknesses as a theory.
C) is irrelevant in our species.
D) is not a major factor.

Question 10

In the Stern and McClintock (1998) study, swabs were taken from the underarms of women at different points in their menstrual cycle. These swabs were presented to other women, most of whom reported they could not smell the substance, even though their own menstrual cycles were modified. This research suggests that

A) body odor is not obnoxious to some people.
B) humans can be influenced by pheromones.
C) menstrual cycles are not very regular.
D) people have largely lost their sense of smell.

Question 11

Infanticide is common among primates, and males will frequently kill the unweaned infants of mothers. They do this because

A) males are naturally aggressive.
B) the infants were fussing too much.
C) the offspring are not their own.
D) there is nothing else to eat.

Question 12

In human long-term mating, females seek mates who have resources and males seek mates who are fertile. As a result,

A) a lot of men and women are unable to find satisfactory mates.
B) human mating is quite different from primate mating patterns.
C) men seek younger women, and women seek older men.
D) women need to reach maturity earlier than men.

Question 13

Which one of the following female characteristics is not likely due to sexual selection?

A) blonde hair and blue eyes
B) continuous sexual receptivity
C) enlarged breasts and buttocks
D) greater orgasmic capacity

Question 14

In a multicultural study, Buss (1989) asked individuals at what age they preferred to marry. Males, on average, preferred to marry at 27.49 years of age to a women who was 2.66 years younger. When he look at actual marriage data, he found that men married

A) at their preferred age, but to women older than they preferred.
B) at their preferred age, to women of their preferred age.
C) later than preferred, but to women of their preferred age.
D) later than preferred, to women older than they preferred.

Question 15

The theory of parental investment was advanced by Robert Trivers in 1972. Which of the following is NOT one of the predictions of this theory?

A) Eggs are costlier than sperm, so females will always be more investing.
B) The less investing sex must compete with its own sex for mates.
C) The more investing sex will be more discriminating in selecting a mate.
D) There is a tradeoff between investment in offspring and mating success.

Question 16

Synchrony in menstrual cycles is a way for the dominant female to make sure she will be receptive _____ other females, so she can mate with the male of her choice.

A) after
B) at the same time as
C) before
D) for a longer time than

Question 17

The slight differences between human male and female body size compared to other primate species suggests that humans evolved under a moderately _____ mating system.

A) monogamous
B) polyandrous
C) polygynous
D) promiscuous

Question 18

Animal research has shown that infants born at the same time from a number of mothers _____ compared with one infant born alone.

A) are healthier and more likely to survive
B) cannot get as much nutrition and care
C) face competition and so are less likely to survive
D) have richer environments for development

Question 19

According to the sexual strategies theory, there are three properties of short-term mating. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A) Males more actively seek short-term mates than females.
B) Males place more emphasis on looks in short-term relationships.
C) Males possess a greater desire than females for a variety of sexual partners.
D) Males will consent to sexual intercourse in a shorter time period than females.

Question 20

To test the sexual selections strategy, Kenrick and Keefe (1992) asked 17-year-old males to rate the attractiveness of females of various ages; the males selected females 6 years older than them as most attractive, suggesting that

A) even older women can still be attractive.
B) males prefer females at the peak of their fertility.
C) the sexual selections strategy is wrong.
D) they have been influenced by modern media.

Question 21

_____ characteristics are those aspects of physiology that are necessary for sexual reproduction, such as the organs for the production of sperm or eggs.

Question 22

According to the _____ theory, females choose males who possess traits that either enhance her own survival or enhance the survival of the offspring; resources such as food, protection, or care of the young would be examples of such traits.

Question 23

_____ theory proposes that males and females have different mating preferences depending on the perceived length of the relationship. For long-term relationships, males seek fertile mates, and women seek mates with resources; for short-term relationships, males seek sexual access, and women seek mates with good genes.

Question 24

Litte et al. (2001) found that women generally prefer more men with more feminine faces, except when they are seeking a

A) long-term relationship, and they are likely to become pregnant.
B) long-term relationship, and they are unlikely to become pregnant.
C) short-term relationship, and they are likely to become pregnant.
D) short-term relationship, and they are unlikely to become pregnant.

Question 25

Average faces are rated as more attractive than faces with more extreme characteristics because

A) average features are correlated with health.
B) most people just want to be normal.
C) not everyone can have a beautiful face.
D) people tend to all like the same thing.

Question 26

_____ are chemicals released into the air that have been shown to signal to other members of a species various aspects of sexuality, including when a female is receptive.

Question 27

Penton-Voak et al. (1999) found that women preferred male faces that were more _____ during the phases of their menstrual cycle in which they were most likely to become pregnant, as compared other phases of their cycle.

A) exaggerated
B) feminine
C) masculine
D) symmetrical

Question 28

The second hypothesis of the sexual strategies theory predicts that males will consent to engage in sexual activity in a shorter span than females. Research shows that males, on average, would consent to having sex after knowing a female for about a week; females, on the other hand, would not consent to sex until they had known the partner for about ____.

A) one month
B) one year
C) six months
D) two weeks

Question 29

Although the waist-to-hip studies point to an underlying factor related to attractiveness, there were several potential confounds in their interpretation. Which of the following was NOT one of these?

A) There was a confound of body weight and waist-to-hip ratio.
B) Ecological validity was limited because the images were not of real women.
C) Preference for thinner or heavier women is culturally determined.
D) The stimuli measured width, but it is circumference that is correlated with fertility.

Question 30

The concept of _____ suggests that if a female is more willing to mate with a male with a certain trait, then that trait will be favored and passed on to the next generation; the outcome of such a process could eventually be an exaggeration, as in the case of the peacock's tail.

Question 31

Recent research is beginning to describe features that characterize attractiveness in males and females. The basic idea is that the features of perceived beauty reflect

A) conditions no longer relevant today.
B) influences of modern modern.
C) reproductive success and health.
D) values of a given society.

Question 32

In monogamous mating species of birds, a large proportion of males of reproductive age will find a mate. Thus, some females will be mating with males who are lower in genetic fitness. If these females have extra mating with more genetically fit males, then the

A) female will have two males to help her raise her offspring.
B) first male is likely to leave her.
C) offspring will have to be raised without their father.
D) overall level of fitness will increase.

Question 33

The theory of _____ states that the sex that provides more to the offspring in terms of time, energy and effort will be more discriminating in selecting its mating partner.

Question 34

One form of sexual selection is known as _____, which is most obvious in male-to-male competition; from this process would evolve characteristics, such as antlers on deer, that would enable one male to dominate another, and thus have the advantage.

Question 35

Peahens appear to comparison shop until they determine which peacock has the most elaborate tail; according to the _____ theory, this is because characteristics of the plumage are an indicator of disease resistance.

Question 36

_____ characteristics are those aspects of physiology that are not necessary for sexual reproduction but have evolved to support the acquisition of mates, such as bright plumage in birds.

Question 37

One form of sexual selection is known as _____, as when a female mates with the most-adorned peacock; this process leads to the evolution of characteristics in males that would help in ornamentation.

Question 38

One of the indicators of sexual availability in primate females is _____, which is often accompanied by changes in color.

Question 39

When Singh (1993) asked males to rate the attractiveness of females with different waist-to-hip ratios, he found men preferred a .7 waist-to-hip ratio

A) only if the female was normal weight, but not if she was underweight or overweight.
B) only if the female was normal weight or overweight, but not if she was underweight.
C) only if the female was normal weight or underweight, but not if she was overweight.
D) regardless of whether the female was underweight, normal weight, or overweight.

Question 40

Women who are ovulating and are seeking a short-term mate prefer a male with very masculine features such as more muscular bodies and prominent chins. This finding provides support for which theory?

A) good gene theory
B) good provider theory
C) parental investment theory
D) runaway sexual selection

Question 41

Darwin presented an asymetrical picture of mating, which the female being less eager to mate than the male. He actually described the female as _____ and requiring courtship.

Question 42

Singh asked college males to rate female figures in terms of four characteristics: (1) attractive and sexy; (2) healthy; (3) youthful looking; (4) desire and capacity for having children. In general, the .7 _____ was rated highest for all four measures.

Question 43

Discuss the features that characterize attractiveness in males and females.

Question 44

Discuss the "market value" of males and females based on age. Explain the findings in terms of sexual strategies theory. Relate this to marriage preferences and actual marriage patterns. Is it simply relative age of males and females that is important, or is there something else?

Question 45

Females choose males who possess _____, or outward manifestations, of underlying genetic fitness; peacock feathers are an example.

Question 46

Gorillas, orangutans, and chimpanzees have thin penises less than three inches long when erect, whereas human male penises are generally more than five inches long. This is not related to _____, which would require larger testicles, as is seen in chimpanzees.

Question 47

Explain the good gene and good provider theories. Discuss their relevance in explaining polyandrous mating in socially monogamous species.

Question 48

The logic of _____ influencing cognitive and emotional processes is straightforward. As with physical characteristics, if an individual would rather mate with someone he or she finds intelligent, funny, and creative, then these characteristics, to the extent they are genetically related, would be passed on to future generations.

Question 49

It has been shown that just the act of smelling a female's t-shirt will increase a male's _____ levels, and if the t-shirt is from an ovulating woman, the increase will be even greater.

Question 50

According to Susan Hrdy, primate females, including humans, evolved a tendency to seek extragroup mates. Females seek males for extra relationships who are most unlike their own mates genetically, and the extra mating allows for improvement in their offspring. Thus, the females benefit from _____ mating.

Question 51

When female macaques were housed with a single male, mating took place during the mid-cycle period of _____ when the animal was most likely to become pregnant. But if they were housed with multiple males, they solicited sex throughout the follicular phase of the cycle, during which they were less likely to conceive.

Question 52

By studying personal ads, Pawlowski and Dunbar (1999) were able to develop a measure of _____ of males and females at various ages; this measure is a selection ratio reflecting advertisers' preference for each age class relative to the number of individuals in that age class.

Question 53

Discuss sexual strategies theory, and especially how it is applied to human mating systems. What is the evidence to support this theory?

Question 54

Discuss Trivers' (1972) theory of parental investment. What prediction does it make, and what evidence is there to support the theory?