At the Beginning of a Semester, a Group of Five

question 14

Multiple Choice

At the beginning of a semester, a group of five students (Jim, Andy, Beth, Brandy, and Duane) were asked to order a snack that the teacher will deliver to the students free of charge before the first class of the tenth week of the semester. The three choices were an apple, a banana, or a Snickers candy bar. The teacher collected the orders and found that two students have ordered an apple, two students have ordered a banana, and one student has ordered a Snickers candy bar. The four students who ordered either an apple or a banana cited health consciousness as the reason for their choice. Immediately before the orders are scheduled to be delivered, the teacher informs the students that they can switch their choice and order something else from the original menu if they wish, or they can receive what they originally ordered. Which of the following scenarios is the best example of inconsistent intertemporal decision-making?

• A) Jim originally ordered an apple and did not change his choice when prompted.
• B) Andy ordered a banana and switched to an apple when prompted.
• C) Beth ordered an apple and switched to a banana when prompted.
• D) Brandy ordered a banana and switched to a Snickers candy bar when prompted.
• E) Duane ordered a Snickers candy bar and did not change his choice when prompted.

---

Definitions:

Reinforcement

In behavioral psychology, a consequence applied that will strengthen an organism's future behavior whenever that behavior is preceded by a specific antecedent stimulus.

Skinner

B.F. Skinner, an American psychologist and behaviorist known for his work in developing the theory of operant conditioning, which involves learning through rewards and punishments.

Method

A systematic way of doing something, often involving a detailed and established procedure or technique.

Industrial and Organizational Psychologists

Psychologists who apply psychological theories and principles to organizations and the workplace to solve problems and improve the quality of work life.