Participants in an Experiment by Miho Toi and Daniel Batson

question 54

Multiple Choice

Participants in an experiment by Miho Toi and Daniel Batson (1982) listened to an (alleged) radio interview in which a student in their Introductory Psychology class described an accident that caused her to fall behind in the course.Some participants were told that Carol would soon be returning to their class.Why would Toi and Batson refer to this as a "high cost" condition?

• A) Every time participants saw her, they would be able to empathize with her.
• B) Carol was still in a wheelchair and it would be hard for her to get to class.
• C) Every time participants saw her, they would feel guilty if they didn't help her.
• D) Participants would have to go out of their way to copy their notes for Carol.
• E) Carol would soon be competing for grades with the participants.

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Definitions:

Stimulus Motive

An intrinsic desire to explore and interact with the environment, driven by external stimuli.

Primary Drive

A basic, innate urge or motivation, such as hunger or thirst, that prompts an organism to take action to satisfy its needs.

Secondary Drive

A learned association that becomes as motivating as primary biological drives through conditioning, such as the desire for money because it buys food.

Pygmy Chimpanzees

Also known as bonobos, a species of great ape known for their matriarchal societies and high levels of sexual behavior as a social activity.