Asked by Trung Nguyen on Jul 24, 2024

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According to Cosmides' social contract theory,college students should best be able to perform best on which version of the Wason selection task?

A) a task in which students are trying to help the community
B) a task in which students are trying to set up a new student organization
C) a task in which some students are trying to unfairly gain admission to the university
D) a task in which students are advocating for new student events

Social Contract Theory

A theory in political philosophy that posits the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual is grounded in a hypothetical contract between them.

Wason Selection Task

A logical puzzle used as a test in psychology to study conditional reasoning and confirmation bias.

  • Acquire insight into how decision making and reasoning are influenced by heuristic techniques.
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Victor AdeosunJul 28, 2024
Final Answer :
C
Explanation :
Cosmides' social contract theory suggests that humans are particularly adept at reasoning about situations involving social exchanges or contracts, especially those that involve detecting cheaters or violations of social rules. The version of the Wason selection task involving students trying to unfairly gain admission to the university (C) directly taps into this evolutionary adaptation by presenting a scenario where social rules could be violated, making it the situation where college students should perform best according to the theory.