In an experiment, two strangers are given the opportunity to share $100, subject to the following constraints: One person—the "proposer"—is to suggest how to divide the money and can make only one such proposal. ███ █████ ████████████ ██████████████ ████ ██████ ██████ ██ ██████ ███ █████ ███████ ██████████████ ████ ███████ ████ ████ ██ ███ █████ ██ █████████ ███ █████ ████ ██ █████ ██ ███████ ███ ██ ███ █████ ██ █████████ ███████ ████ ███████ █████████
Experiment ·The Ultimatum Game
Two players can split $100. One player proposes how to split. The other player decides to accept or reject. If accept, the split is as proposed. If reject, both parties get nothing.
Explanation Details ·Our emotions are evolved for repeated public interactions
We have a reputation to maintain. If we accept an "unfair" offer, then we are advertising to our social group that we can be treated unfairly. Hence, we instinctively reject such offers. Even though in the instance of the experiment, rejecting makes no sense and is actually to our detriment.
Passage Style
Critique or debate
Phenomenon-hypothesis
25.
The author's primary purpose in ███ ███████ ██ ██
Question Type
Implied
Purpose of passage
In a Phenomenon-Hypothesis passage, if the author proposes a hypothesis, the primary purpose of the passage is to propose that hypothesis. Here, the author proposes an explanation for the results of the Ultimatum Game: “A more compelling explanation is that our emotional apparatus has been shaped by millions of years of living in small groups, where it is hard to keep secrets.” The author’s purpose is to propose this hypothesis.
This doesn’t capture the author’s support for the hypothesis described in P4. The author doesn’t merely describe different interpretations of the Ultimatum Game results; she favors one explanation over another.
b
show how two ████████ ████ ███████ ██ ███████ ███ ████████ ███████ ██ ██ ██████████ ██████████ ████ █████
This doesn’t capture the author’s support for the hypothesis described in P4. In addition, the author doesn’t suggest that the hypotheses in P3 and P4 can go together; she favors the hypothesis in P4 over the one in P3.
c
argue that the ███████ ██ ██ ███████████ █████ █████████ ███ █████
This doesn’t capture the author’s support for the hypothesis described in P4. In addition, the author doesn’t argue that the results of the Ultimatum Game are valid. The validity of these results is simply a baseline assumption for the discussion of competing hypotheses to explain the results.
This best captures the author’s purpose, which is to offer a hypothesis to explain the results of the Ultimatum Game. Those results are “puzzling” because they seem to go against what we’d expect.
There is no criticism of the Ultimatum Game described. So there is no defense against criticism, either. Because (E) doesn’t occur, it can’t be the author’s purpose.
Difficulty
83% of people who answer get this correct
This is a moderately difficult question.
It is somewhat easier than other questions in this passage.
CURVE
Score of students with a 50% chance of getting this right
25%130
144
75%158
Analysis
Implied
Purpose of passage
Critique or debate
Phenomenon-hypothesis
Science
Answer Popularity
PopularityAvg. score
a
8%
164
b
5%
158
c
3%
157
d
83%
165
e
1%
155
Question history
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