Passage analysis In an experiment, each volunteer was allowed to choose between an easy task and a hard taskIn an experiment each volunteer was given the option of choosing between an easy task and a difficult one.
and was told that another volunteer would do the other task.The task that these volunteers did not choose would be done by another volunteer
Each volunteer could also choose to have a computer assign the two tasks randomly.Another option was that each volunteer could also get a computer to assign the two tasks randomly to two volunteers
Most volunteers chose the easy task for themselvesFact: It was observed that most (>50%, a clear majority) volunteers did not opt for the computer’s choice but chose to take up the easy task for themselves.
and under questioning later said they had acted fairlyFact: When these volunteers were questioned whether they had acted fairly by taking up the easy task, they said they had been fair.
But when the scenario was described to another group of volunteers, almost all said choosing the easy task would be unfair.Fact: When this case was put before another group of volunteers, almost all said that choosing the easy task had been unfair.
This shows that most people apply weaker moral standards to themselves than to others.Conclusion: The author believes that most people apply weaker moral standards to themselves than to the others based on the results of an experiment where Group 1, when given the choice picked the easy task and called this choice fair, and Group 2 called group 1’s action unfair.
pre-thinking Falsification QuestionIn what scenario will most people not apply weaker moral standards to themselves than to the others?
Given that -> The volunteers could have got the computer to assign the tasks to them
But they chose the easier task for themselves and left the hard one for another volunteer.
When questioned, another group of volunteers called the previous group
unfair for having chosen the easier task for themselves.
Thought processLet us look at the author’s point of view. Based on the outcome of an experiment the author makes a claim. In the experiment, most volunteers finally end up choosing the easy task for themselves. When another group of volunteers is asked to comment on this, they call the first group unfair. So, this second group that did not have to choose any tasks was judging the other group. Now because of all this, the author concludes that people apply weaker moral standards to themselves than to others. Or in other words, when it comes to judging themselves, people go easy as compared to when judging others.
Falsification condition#1What if the group of volunteers calling the other group that had chosen easy tasks unfair, chosen difficult tasks themselves when asked to do so?
In that case, with the belief that they had acted fairly, they would have been right in calling the others unfair. In that case they would have been applying the same moral standards to others that they were applying to themselves. They would be calling themselves fair and the others unfair. And our conclusion would break down.
Assumption#1The group of volunteers calling the other group that had chosen easy tasks unfair, would have themselves chosen easy tasks and believed themselves to have been fair.
Falsification Condition#2What if the group of volunteers who had chosen easy tasks and called it fair, would have also called it fair if someone else had done the same?
In that case, with the belief that they had acted fairly, they would have said the others were being fair too when they chose easy tasks. they would have been applying the same moral standards to others that they were applying to themselves. And our conclusion would break down.
Assumption#2The group that had chosen the easy task and believed they had been fair, would have called the others who had done the same, unfair.
Answer Choice AnalysisOption AThis option means that some volunteers believed that when they had chosen the easy task themselves, they had been fair. But they called it unfair if someone else did so.
This is in line with our pre-thinking assumption#2 which says that some of the ones who had chosen the easy task themselves, were calling the others who had done the same, unfair. Had they chosen the hard task, they would have been right in judging the others unfairly. They would then be applying the same standards to others that they were to themselves. In that case, our conclusion would break down.
Hence, this is the correct answer.
Option BThis option means the best moral choice for volunteers would have been not to choose the tasks themselves but to let the computer do so randomly.
Does this have to be true for my conclusion to be true? Let us say the volunteers do not choose the tasks themselves. They let the computer do so. In that case, the morality factor does not come into play at all. Does that prove or disprove the claim? No. The computer assigning the task is actually irrelevant to a discussion because we are talking about a scenario where one assigns moral standards when making the choice oneself.
Hence, this is not the answer.
Option CThis option means there was at least one volunteer who was assigned to do the hard task and felt that this was unfair to him.
Once again, we are looking at an irrelevant scenario. If one is assigned the hard task, either because somebody else took the easy one or because the computer did so, then the claim does not apply to them at all. They are not the ones who are being considered in the argument. We are only concerned with the ones who made the easy task choice themselves. And called the others who did the same unfair.
Hence, this is not the correct answer.
Option DThis option talks about the accuracy of moral judgments made by the group of volunteers (the second group of volunteers) to whom the scenario was described. It says they were more accurate in their judgment than the others.
Does this break my conclusion if it is not true? No. Whether they were more accurate or less accurate in the judgment does not change the claim that they were being judgmental – they were applying one judgment to themselves and another to the others. The level of accuracy hardly matters.
Hence, this is not the correct option.
Option EThe option means that at least one volunteer, who was asked to choose between assigning the task himself and getting the task assigned by the computer, felt that he had made the only fair choice that was available to him.
The conclusion does not require us to consider about the volunteers themselves feeling that they had only one fair choice available to them by choosing the task themselves. It is what the others think about the choice that is being considered here.
Hence, this is not the correct option.
/@empowergmat: I understood the logic, but I have a doubt.
But option A says, "At least some volunteers... " : But, some can also mean 1 right? So, how can we conclude that