Suppose That Elaine Has Been Instructed to Think Freely About

question 49

Multiple Choice

Suppose that Elaine has been instructed to think freely about black cats for five minutes, whereas Kathleen has been ordered not to think about black cats for five minutes. After the initial five-minute period has passed, both Elaine and Kathleen are allowed to think about black cats. According to Wegner and his coauthors, during this second time period, what is most likely to happen?

• A) Both Elaine and Kathleen will spend equal amounts of time thinking about black cats.
• B) Elaine will spend more time thinking about black cats than Kathleen will.
• C) Kathleen will spend more time thinking about black cats than Elaine will.
• D) We cannot predict which person will spend more time thinking about black cats, because ironic effects are unpredictable.

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Definitions:

Bankruptcy Relief

Legal measures available to individuals or businesses that cannot meet their debt obligations, allowing them to either restructure debts or discharge them under court supervision.

Reaffirmation Agreement

An agreement in which the debtor agrees to pay a debt even though it could have been discharged in bankruptcy.

Discharged Debt

Debt that has been formally released or forgiven, relieving the debtor of any further responsibility to repay it.

Trustee

An individual or company responsible for managing and overseeing assets or property on behalf of another party.