PSYCH 515 FINAL ASSESSMENT SCRIPT
2026 TRUSTED ANSWERS SUPPLIED
⫸ Why is studying human uniqueness difficult using fossils? Answer:
Thoughts don't fossilize - cognitive abilites leaves no direct physical
trace
⫸ What is the "next best thing" after fossils for studying human
evolution? Answer: Studying modern primates to infer traits of our
last common ancestor
⫸ What are the four main hypotheses for what makes human unique?
Answer: Technology, shared intentionality & social cognition,
language, and relational reasoning.
⫸ did the last common ancestor of chimps and humans use tools?
Answer: Yes - simple tool use likely existed in common ancestor
⫸ Which early human species shows major increases in meat
consumption and tool use? Answer: Homo Habilis
⫸ How did bipedalism contribute to technological evolution?
Answer: Freed hands for carrying and throwing; improved energy
efficiency for long-distance travel
, ⫸ What cognitive demands are required for human-level tool use?
Answer: Physical reasoning, cooperation, teaching, language, and
complex food processing
⫸ What is shared intentionality? Answer: When two individuals share
a reference point and a shared goal
⫸ what behaviors show shared intentionality in human infants?
Answer: Pointing, gaze-following, and looking back-and-forth
between people and objects
⫸ Do non-human animals communicate through pointing? Answer:
No - some understanding pointing (e.g., dogs), but they do not use it
communicatively
⫸ what is the major difference between ape and human cooperation
preferences? Answer: Apes prefer to work alone; human children
prefer to cooperate
⫸ what did the large comparative study of chimps vs 2.5 year old
children? Answer: equal performance in physical cognition, but
children far outperformed in social cognition.
⫸ What cognitive skills make humans uniquely social? Answer:
Theory of mind, cooperation, teaching, sharing, and shared
intentionality
2026 TRUSTED ANSWERS SUPPLIED
⫸ Why is studying human uniqueness difficult using fossils? Answer:
Thoughts don't fossilize - cognitive abilites leaves no direct physical
trace
⫸ What is the "next best thing" after fossils for studying human
evolution? Answer: Studying modern primates to infer traits of our
last common ancestor
⫸ What are the four main hypotheses for what makes human unique?
Answer: Technology, shared intentionality & social cognition,
language, and relational reasoning.
⫸ did the last common ancestor of chimps and humans use tools?
Answer: Yes - simple tool use likely existed in common ancestor
⫸ Which early human species shows major increases in meat
consumption and tool use? Answer: Homo Habilis
⫸ How did bipedalism contribute to technological evolution?
Answer: Freed hands for carrying and throwing; improved energy
efficiency for long-distance travel
, ⫸ What cognitive demands are required for human-level tool use?
Answer: Physical reasoning, cooperation, teaching, language, and
complex food processing
⫸ What is shared intentionality? Answer: When two individuals share
a reference point and a shared goal
⫸ what behaviors show shared intentionality in human infants?
Answer: Pointing, gaze-following, and looking back-and-forth
between people and objects
⫸ Do non-human animals communicate through pointing? Answer:
No - some understanding pointing (e.g., dogs), but they do not use it
communicatively
⫸ what is the major difference between ape and human cooperation
preferences? Answer: Apes prefer to work alone; human children
prefer to cooperate
⫸ what did the large comparative study of chimps vs 2.5 year old
children? Answer: equal performance in physical cognition, but
children far outperformed in social cognition.
⫸ What cognitive skills make humans uniquely social? Answer:
Theory of mind, cooperation, teaching, sharing, and shared
intentionality
