Psychology professor's tricky extra credit question goes viral
"I would hope that any student who chose six points would, in the future, think twice about the selfish option and think about what's best for the group and — by extension — what's best for them."
(edited to add picture)
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Previous comments...
Let actually excellence determine the grade.
Jan
Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!
Step right up!
Shake dem bones!
All or nada!
Watch dem bones roll!
Wheeee!
I am dino--
Hear me ROAR!
If 100% of the students look at it from self interest, and not knowing what anyone else is doing then 100% would opt for 2 points.
However, there is a difference between being 100% selfish and having rational self interest.
If 100% of the students are 100% selfish "not the objectivist" selfish which is rational, they would all pick the 6 points and nobody would get any.
This has the potential to be looked at in numerous ways, and I have absolutely no doubt some objectivists here will attempt to excoriate me for my analysis of this.
1. Choosing 2 points is obviously the safest option. No downside risk and certain gain, although modest. The article didn't say how many people chose this, only that 20% chose 6 points.
2. Ingenuity and innovation should have taught us by now (not to mention economics) that the fixed pie mentality is bogus. Tragedy of the commons is real. Individual freedom and capitalism will inevitably arrive at more than two choices with an arbitrary constraint on a test. :-)
The question did, however, provide an opportunity for learning. Not sure the proper lessons were learned, however.