Which of the Following Examples Describes a Behavioral Pattern That

question 62

Multiple Choice

Which of the following examples describes a behavioral pattern that results from a proximate cause?

• A) A cat kills a mouse to obtain nutrition.
• B) A male sheep fights with another male because it helps to improve its social position.
• C) A female bird lays its eggs because the amount of daylight is decreasing slightly each day.
• D) A goose squats and freezes motionless to escape a predator.
• E) A cockroach runs into a crack in the wall and avoids being stepped on.

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Definitions:

Ordinary Goods

In a consumer’s utility function, those for which additional units of one good are required to compensate for fewer units of another, and vice versa; and for which the consumer experiences a diminishing marginal rate of substitution when substituting one good in place of another.

Marginal Rate

The rate at which one variable changes over the change in another variable, often used in the context of taxes or marginal rate of substitution in economics.

Substitution

The economic concept whereby consumers replace costlier items with less expensive alternatives, or firms switch between inputs to minimize costs.

Indifference Curves

A graph showing different bundles of goods between which a consumer is indifferent, representing equal levels of utility.