LS15 FINAL REVIEW SESSION EXAM
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS. A+ GRADE 2025/2026.
Happiness, why is the rate and direction of change of circumstances more important than
absolute levels? How does this relate to material acquisitions? - ANS The rate and direction
of chagne in our lives contribute much more to our levels of happiness because our emotions,
like happiness, don't last as long as people would expect. Happiness is more related to
improvement of our emotions rather than an absolute value of emotions.
This can be seen with studies that track lottery winners who are extremely happy once they
first win hwoever, their happiness fades over time and they revert back to a baseline level.
This relates to material acquisitions as when you buy stuff, it bring happiness temporarily but
you will eventually return to your baseline. This is why people continue to seek these emotions.
Making progress towards our goals makes us happy (to do lists).
Emotions are tools our genes use to induce us toward behaviors benefiting them.
Why are emotions designed to be less permanent than they feel? - ANS Emotions are
designed to be less permanent than they feel because from an evolutionary standpoint,
emotions are tools that our body uses to elicit specific action deemed to be evolutionary
advantageous.
Emotions are desinged to motivate us but they have to reset- so the happiness occurs in
response to our improvement. Emotions just motivate our behavior.
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
, Describe three lines of evidence supporting the idea that emotions are tools that our genes use
to manipulate our behavior? - ANS Emotions are tools that our genes use to manipulate our
behavior:
1. We recover from catastrophes- people who have gotten into tragic accidents and have
become paralyzed find themselves at the lowest levels of happiness, however over time, they
slowly rebound back to baseline lvels.
2. Lottery winners: those who win the lottery are initially very very happy but over time, these
emotions fade back down to their baseline level.
3. Colonoscopy study: Compared the return rate of patients who experienced a 20 min normal
procedure and those who experienced the 20 min normal procedure plus 5 minutes of reduced
pain for slow removal. And found that there was a much higher return rate for thos ending with
lower pain with the 5 minute add on.
4. To do list- as we complete productive tasks in our day, we feel good temporarily but as the
feeling fades we have the desire to do the next task.
Using two examples, explain why human culture reduces the usefulness of our instincts? Be
sure to define culture and instincts. - ANS Human culture: Non genetic transmission of
information- this is learning stuff from others.
Instincts: behaviors that don't require any environmental input ot develop- they are the innate
behaviors that are present in all individuals in a population and do not vary much from one
individual to another.
Human culture can reduce the usefulness of our instincts as our instincts come from what was
helpful in our EEA, but wiht culture, these practices may no longer be beneficial.
1. overeating
2. bar fights
What is the fundamental reproductive equation? What does it reveal about culture and
biology? - ANS Sex= pregnancy= babies= maternal child investment= loss of female power=
loss of female political power
This reproductive equation models how a biological process of having sex, and the discrepency
in investment, womens are at a loss of political power. However, in today's culture, technology
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS. A+ GRADE 2025/2026.
Happiness, why is the rate and direction of change of circumstances more important than
absolute levels? How does this relate to material acquisitions? - ANS The rate and direction
of chagne in our lives contribute much more to our levels of happiness because our emotions,
like happiness, don't last as long as people would expect. Happiness is more related to
improvement of our emotions rather than an absolute value of emotions.
This can be seen with studies that track lottery winners who are extremely happy once they
first win hwoever, their happiness fades over time and they revert back to a baseline level.
This relates to material acquisitions as when you buy stuff, it bring happiness temporarily but
you will eventually return to your baseline. This is why people continue to seek these emotions.
Making progress towards our goals makes us happy (to do lists).
Emotions are tools our genes use to induce us toward behaviors benefiting them.
Why are emotions designed to be less permanent than they feel? - ANS Emotions are
designed to be less permanent than they feel because from an evolutionary standpoint,
emotions are tools that our body uses to elicit specific action deemed to be evolutionary
advantageous.
Emotions are desinged to motivate us but they have to reset- so the happiness occurs in
response to our improvement. Emotions just motivate our behavior.
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
, Describe three lines of evidence supporting the idea that emotions are tools that our genes use
to manipulate our behavior? - ANS Emotions are tools that our genes use to manipulate our
behavior:
1. We recover from catastrophes- people who have gotten into tragic accidents and have
become paralyzed find themselves at the lowest levels of happiness, however over time, they
slowly rebound back to baseline lvels.
2. Lottery winners: those who win the lottery are initially very very happy but over time, these
emotions fade back down to their baseline level.
3. Colonoscopy study: Compared the return rate of patients who experienced a 20 min normal
procedure and those who experienced the 20 min normal procedure plus 5 minutes of reduced
pain for slow removal. And found that there was a much higher return rate for thos ending with
lower pain with the 5 minute add on.
4. To do list- as we complete productive tasks in our day, we feel good temporarily but as the
feeling fades we have the desire to do the next task.
Using two examples, explain why human culture reduces the usefulness of our instincts? Be
sure to define culture and instincts. - ANS Human culture: Non genetic transmission of
information- this is learning stuff from others.
Instincts: behaviors that don't require any environmental input ot develop- they are the innate
behaviors that are present in all individuals in a population and do not vary much from one
individual to another.
Human culture can reduce the usefulness of our instincts as our instincts come from what was
helpful in our EEA, but wiht culture, these practices may no longer be beneficial.
1. overeating
2. bar fights
What is the fundamental reproductive equation? What does it reveal about culture and
biology? - ANS Sex= pregnancy= babies= maternal child investment= loss of female power=
loss of female political power
This reproductive equation models how a biological process of having sex, and the discrepency
in investment, womens are at a loss of political power. However, in today's culture, technology
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
