In Order for Traits to Evolve by Natural Selection, Individuals

question 8

Multiple Choice

In order for traits to evolve by natural selection, individuals must experience differential reproductive success. This means that

• A) individuals differ in the types of mutations that they carry.
• B) some individuals are more likely to have a certain trait than others.
• C) the number of individuals in a population that are successful at surviving and reproducing increases over time.
• D) individuals with certain traits are more successful than others in the population at surviving and reproducing.

---

Definitions:

Self-Serving Bias

A common tendency for individuals to attribute their successes to internal factors while attributing failures to external factors.

Cognitive Biases

Misperceptions or misunderstandings that cause systematic errors. Most result either from heuristics that are prone to systematic errors or because the brain is attempting to solve a type of problem (such as a calculus problem) for which it was not evolutionarily evolved and for which it has little innate capability.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.

Behavioral Economists

Researchers focusing on the impact that psychological, cognitive, emotional, cultural, and social elements have on the economic decisions of individuals and organizations.