Your Roommate Questions How Charitable You Really Are

question 171

Multiple Choice

Your roommate questions how charitable you really are. She says to you, "Give me just one example of the last time you gave money to a homeless person." Odds are that her challenge will convince you that you really are a generous person. Based on research by Schwarz and his colleagues (1991) , why is that?

• A) It's easy to bring to mind one example that supports your self-schema.
• B) Your roommate's challenge makes you feel defensive and threatens your self-esteem.
• C) Homeless people are representative of people who need our help.
• D) It's easier to think of "actuals" than counterfactuals.