Question 1

Explain how motivated reasoning is related to the biases and thinking errors that people show. Provide examples of different thinking errors, and describe how they are related to motivated reasoning.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how motivated reasoning is related to...

Question 2

Many people believe that emotions cause people to be irrational. Explain whether this is a psychological misconception, defending your conclusion with a summary of relevant findings from the review of scientific research reviewed in your textbook.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Many people believe that emotions cause people...

Question 3

After studying the critical reading section in this chapter, Alex and Sabrina discussed whether emotion always makes people irrational. Alex said, "I still think it does." Sabrina said, "You're telling me that after all the research we read about this question, you still think it does?" Alex is apparently showing which thinking error?
A) Belief bias
B) Belief perseverance
C) Self-serving bias
D) Illusory correlation

Accepted Answer

Alex is exhibiting belief perseverance by continuing to hold onto his belief about emotion and irrationality despite evidence to the contrary.

Question 4

Regina saw an advertisement for a charity showing a starving child who was crying. The ad said, "For pennies a day, you can help save a starving child." After making an online donation, Regina became upset when she learned that the charity had higher overhead than other similar charities and so less of her contribution went to help children than to pay for the charity's administration. The BEST strategy Regina could have used to avoid her bad decision would have been to:
A) consider other emotions she might experience in response to the ad.
B) try to separate the option under discussion from the emotional appeal.
C) slow down her response to the threatening situation, such as counting to 10 before responding.
D) use relaxation training to reduce her negative emotional response to the ad.

Accepted Answer

By trying to separate the option under discussion from the emotional appeal, Regina could have avoided being swayed solely by the emotional appeal of the ad and made a more informed decision based on the facts and effectiveness of the charity.

Question 5

The president said, "Our enemy is threatening us with utter destruction. Now they appear to be acquiring nuclear weapons. We have been unable to negotiate with them. It is imperative that we take military action against our enemy before they finish development of their weapons of mass destruction and use them against us, killing millions of people." By saying this, the president is:
A) using the argumentation strategy called "appealing to emotion."
B) trying to modify people's strong negative emotions to get them to act.
C) asking people to reappraise an emotion to see a real danger.
D) making an argument from possibility using negative emotion.

Accepted Answer

The president is using the argumentation strategy called "appealing to emotion" by trying to modify people's strong negative emotions to get them to act.

Question 6

Regina saw an advertisement for a charity showing a starving child who was crying. The ad said, "For pennies a day, you can help save a starving child." After making an online donation, Regina became upset when she learned that the charity had higher overhead expenses than other similar charities and so less of her contribution went to help children than to pay for the charity's administration. Regina's poor decision was MOSTLY influenced by:
A) the self-serving bias and her desire to feel good about helping.
B) her responding too quickly.
C) her incorrectly appraising a situation.
D) an appeal to emotion (pity).

Accepted Answer

Regina's poor decision was mostly influenced by an appeal to emotion (pity) triggered by the advertisement showing a crying, starving child. The ad was designed to evoke an emotional response and encourage donations without providing enough information about how the charity operates and uses the donated funds. Regina made an impulsive decision driven by her emotional reaction to the ad, without researching the charity or comparing it to other similar organizations.

Question 7

Travis has been dreading his required statistics class for two years. Although his previous math course performance has been average, he has told himself that he is not good at math. When he finally takes his first exam in the statistics class, Travis reads the first question and does not know how to answer it. His mouth is dry and he feels tense and jittery. From that point on, he cannot concentrate on any other questions and he runs out of time. As a result, he fails the exam. To deal with the problem that emotion is contributing to his thinking, Travis should:
A) reappraise the situation and reduce his negative emotion by practicing relaxation.
B) respond less quickly to the threatening stimuli.
C) separate the content of the test information from the appeal to emotion.
D) direct his attention to something less threatening, such as thoughts about what he will do after the test.

Accepted Answer

Travis is experiencing test anxiety, which is causing him to feel overwhelmed and unable to concentrate on the exam. To deal with this, he should try to reduce his negative emotions by practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation. By doing so, he can calm himself down and focus better on the exam. Option B may not be effective as Travis needs to answer all the questions, and delaying his response may prevent him from completing the exam on time. Option C is not helpful either as the content of the test information is directly related to the exam, and ignoring it will not help Travis pass the test. Option D may redirect his attention, but it will not help him address the underlying problem of test anxiety.

Question 8

The president said, "Our enemy is threatening us with utter destruction. Now, they have appear to be acquiring nuclear weapons. We have been unable to negotiate with them. It is imperative that we take military action against our enemy before they finish development of their weapons of mass destruction and use them against us, killing millions of people." What is the BEST strategy for countering the president's appeal to emotion?
A) Consider the other side's position before responding.
B) Try to separate the claim or question under discussion from the emotional appeal.
C) Slow down the response to the anger-provoking situation, such as counting to 10 before responding.
D) Use relaxation training to reduce negative emotional responses.

Accepted Answer

The best strategy for countering the president's appeal to emotion is to try to separate the claim or question under discussion from the emotional appeal. This means focusing on the facts and evidence surrounding the situation, rather than getting caught up in the emotional language used by the president. By doing so, it becomes possible to have a more reasoned and rational discussion about the best course of action in response to the threat posed by the enemy.

Question 9

Researchers using mood induction procedures induce and manipulate moods in participants and then make comparisons to control conditions presumed to induce a neutral mood. In a neutral mood state, a participant would not experience any mood strongly and so would lack a specific emotion. What is an unwarranted assumption that researchers may be making when using procedures to induce neutral mood as a control condition?
A) There is really such a thing as neutral mood in which a person does not experience any emotion.
B) Participants in a neutral mood condition might think that they are supposed to be in some mood and then pretend to be in a different mood.
C) A neutral mood is the kind of mood a participant would want to be induced to be in.
D) It is ethical to induce a neutral mood in experimental research.

Accepted Answer

The assumption that there is really such a thing as a neutral mood in which a person does not experience any emotion is unwarranted. There may always be some degree of emotional experience present, even if it is very subtle. Additionally, some participants may interpret the instructions for a neutral mood condition differently, leading to differences in experienced mood across participants.

Question 10

Liam and Lewa, a young married couple, were having a marital spat that got more and more heated. Liam got so angry that he used something against Lewa he knew was a weakness of hers and would make Lewa feel vulnerable. She cried and said, "I can't believe you said that. I don't think I can live with you anymore." The next day, as Lewa was packing to leave, Liam wondered to himself why he had made the hurtful comment. Which strategy could Liam have used to better regulate his emotion?
A) When he felt himself getting angry, he could have counted to 10 or reminded himself that this was a point at which he might say something he would regret.
B) He could have changed the subject completely and avoided talking about the problem.
C) He could have told Lewa that she was incorrectly appraising a situation and urged her to reappraise the situation.
D) When he felt himself getting angrier, he could have stopped and thought of different words rather than using the appeal to emotion.

Accepted Answer

Liam could have used the strategy of counting to 10 or reminding himself to pause and reflect before saying something hurtful. This would have allowed him to regulate his emotions, think before he spoke, and avoid using Lewa's vulnerability as a weapon during their argument.

Quiz 9: Emotion, Motivated Reasoning, and Critical Thinking

Explain how motivated reasoning is related to the biases and thinking errors that people show. Provide examples of different thinking errors, and describe how they are related to motivated reasoning.

Many people believe that emotions cause people to be irrational. Explain whether this is a psychological misconception, defending your conclusion with a summary of relevant findings from the review of scientific research reviewed in your textbook.