In the Trolley Dilemma, Participants Must Decide Whether to Flip

question 6

Multiple Choice

In the trolley dilemma, participants must decide whether to flip a switch that will divert a trolley, saving five people's live but killing one person. In the footbridge dilemma, participants must decide whether to push a large wrestler into the path of a trolley, killing that wrestler but saving the lives of five people who would otherwise have been hit. When researchers compare participants' responses to these two dilemmas, what do they find?

• A) Nearly all people are unwilling to take an action that will take a life, even though it will save five others, regardless of the scenario.
• B) Most people are willing to take the action that will save five lives despite killing one person, in both the trolley and the footbridge scenario.
• C) Most people are more hesitant to flip the switch than they are to push the wrestler into the trolley's path, although they have the same effect.
• D) Most people are more hesitant to push the wrestler into the trolley's path than they are to flip the switch, although they have the same effect.

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Definitions:

Total Abstinence

The practice of completely refraining from the use of certain substances or partaking in specific behaviors, often related to addiction recovery.

Alcohol

A psychoactive substance found in drinks like beer, wine, and spirits that can alter mood and behavior.

Anxiety

A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.

Tension

The state of being stretched tight, which can be physical in terms of objects or emotional/psychological in terms of feelings.