Researchers Presented Participants with Two Versions of a Moral Dilemma

question 35

Multiple Choice

Researchers presented participants with two versions of a moral dilemma. In the trolley dilemma, you can save the life of five people but take the life of one person by flipping a switch. In the footbridge dilemma, you can save the life of five people but take the life of one person by pushing a fat man off a bridge. According to the research, what do most people decide?

• A) Because the two dilemmas are logically the same, people make the same choice (kill one and save five) with equal ease in both cases.
• B) Although the two dilemmas are logically the same, people have a more difficult time deciding what to do in the footbridge dilemma.
• C) Although the two dilemmas are logically the same, people have a more difficult time deciding what to do in the trolley dilemma.
• D) Because the two dilemmas are logically the same, people quickly decide in both cases they have no right to interfere in the situation and allow the five people to die.

---

Definitions:

Federal Withholding

The amount of an employee's pay withheld by the employer and sent directly to the government as partial payment of taxes.

Taxable Income

The amount of an individual's or a corporation's income used to determine how much tax is owed to the government.

Married Filing Jointly

A tax filing status for married couples who choose to combine their income and deductions on a single tax return.

Tax

The amount of money a person must pay to the government to benefit from government services.