Q purchases a $500,000 life insurance policy and pays $900 in premiums over the first six months. Q dies suddenly and the beneficiary is paid $500,000. This exchange of unequal values reflects which of the following insurance contract features?

The correct answer is that the scenario illustrates the concept of aleatory contracts. Aleatory contracts are agreements where the values exchanged by the parties are not equal or are dependent on an uncertain event. In this case, Q has paid a relatively small premium of $900, and upon death, the beneficiary receives the full benefit of $500,000. This disparity exemplifies an aleatory aspect of insurance contracts, as the payment made by the insured (the premium) is much less than the payment made by the insurer (the death benefit) due to the contingent nature of the risk insured (Q's life).

In insurance, the occurrence of the insured event (in this case, death) is uncertain and can lead to a significant financial gain for the beneficiary relative to the premiums paid by the policyholder. This asymmetry in the value of the exchange is a defining characteristic of an aleatory contract, where the outcome hinges on an uncertain event, leading to unequal exchanges.

The other options describe different features of insurance contracts but do not capture this specific aspect of unequal value. Adhesion refers to contracts drafted by one party with little to no negotiation from the other, unilateral indicates obligations are primarily on the insurer, and consideration involves the exchange of something of value to