Which statement is true about evolutionary psychology?

Which statement is true about evolutionary psychology?

• A. It explains psychological traits as evolutionary adaptations
• B. It uses adaptationism to explain phenotypes
• C. It generates hypotheses that must be tested
• D. All of the above

Answer: (D)

Evolutionary psychology treats psychological traits as products of natural selection serving adaptive functions. It often uses adaptationist reasoning, interpreting traits as evolved responses to recurrent problems, while recognizing that not every trait must be an adaptation and requiring evidence before labeling it as such. A key aspect is generating testable hypotheses about why a trait exists and how it would have increased fitness, then testing those predictions with data from experiments, cross-cultural studies, and comparative research. Taken together, these elements describe a view of the discipline that aligns with all of the statements, making the “all of the above” option the best description.

Evolutionary psychology treats psychological traits as products of natural selection serving adaptive functions. It often uses adaptationist reasoning, interpreting traits as evolved responses to recurrent problems, while recognizing that not every trait must be an adaptation and requiring evidence before labeling it as such. A key aspect is generating testable hypotheses about why a trait exists and how it would have increased fitness, then testing those predictions with data from experiments, cross-cultural studies, and comparative research. Taken together, these elements describe a view of the discipline that aligns with all of the statements, making the “all of the above” option the best description.