Suppose That, One Day, a Gorilla Broke Loose from the Zoo

question 184

Multiple Choice

Suppose that, one day, a gorilla broke loose from the zoo and made his way to a local park. People in the park were confused by the sudden presence of the gorilla. They thought to themselves, "Isn't that a gorilla?" "Isn't it dangerous to have a gorilla here?" However, none of them voiced their concerns, and as a result, there was no communication about the gorilla. The park-goers ultimately assumed that there was a reason for the gorilla to be there ("otherwise," they thought, "someone would have said something") . And the gorilla ended up staying at the park for several hours. In this example, ____ was MOST at play.

• A)the bystander effect
• B)pluralistic ignorance
• C)diffusion of responsibility
• D)the commons dilemma

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Definitions:

Discrimination

The unfair or biased treatment of various groups, particularly based on their race, age, gender, or disabilities.

Extinction

In psychology, extinction refers to the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response when the reinforcement is no longer provided.

Operant Conditioning

A behavior modification technique where the degree of an act is regulated via reinforcement or disciplinary measures.

Biological Constraints

Limitations on learning and adaptation that are rooted in an organism's biological characteristics.