Multiple Choice
Which of the following best describes the underlying assumption of evolutionary psychology's motivation theory?
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1. Introduction to Psychology
Evolutionary Psychology
Multiple Choice
Which of the following is a common criticism of evolutionary psychology?
A
It argues that all human behavior is entirely learned and has no biological component.
B
It can rely on unfalsifiable "just-so" stories that explain behavior after the fact rather than generating testable predictions.
C
It focuses exclusively on unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences as the primary causes of behavior.
D
It denies that natural selection has any role in shaping human cognition and behavior.
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the core premise of evolutionary psychology, which is that many human behaviors have evolved through natural selection and have a biological basis, rather than being entirely learned or culturally determined.
Step 2: Recognize that evolutionary psychology aims to generate hypotheses about how certain behaviors may have been adaptive in ancestral environments, which can be tested scientifically.
Step 3: Identify common criticisms of evolutionary psychology, such as the tendency to create 'just-so' stories—explanations that sound plausible but are difficult or impossible to test empirically.
Step 4: Evaluate the given options by comparing them to the known criticisms: evolutionary psychology does not claim all behavior is learned, nor does it focus exclusively on unconscious conflicts or deny natural selection's role.
Step 5: Conclude that the most accurate criticism is that evolutionary psychology can rely on unfalsifiable 'just-so' stories that explain behavior after the fact rather than generating testable predictions.
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