You come home, and your house is a mess. The garbage is spilled all over the kitchen, there are rolls of toilet paper strewn about, and all of your decorative trinkets are broken on the floor, but nothing is missing. Your dog and cat are sitting calmly in the middle of the mess. According to the principle of Pragnanz, what would you assume caused the mess?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the principle of Pragnanz, also known as the Gestalt principle of simplicity, our brains tend to interpret information in the simplest and most organized way possible. In this case, the simplest explanation is that the animals in the house caused the mess since nothing is missing from the house. Therefore, the answer is C, your cat and dog.

You Come Home, and Your House Is a Mess