MrAnd MrsJones Have Five Daughters

question 173

Multiple Choice

Mr.and Mrs.Jones have five daughters.Hoping for a son,they decide to have a sixth child,reasoning that a boy is long overdue.Is their reasoning correct,and why

• A) Yes. After having so many daughters, a boy is almost a sure thing. 
• B) No. The simple probability of a son is unaffected by the sex of previous children. 
• C) No. It is more likely that Mr. and Mrs. Jones will continue to produce girls. 
• D) Yes. The greater the number of girls a couple has had, the greater the likelihood that the next will be a boy.

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Definitions:

Sexual Objectification

The tendency to think about women in a narrow way as objects rather than full humans, as if their physical appearance is all that matters.

Stereotype Threat

The risk of confirming negative stereotypes about an individual's racial, ethnic, gender, or cultural group, which can hinder their performance.

Institutional Discrimination

A systemic discrimination that occurs within institutions like schools, companies, and governments, where policies, practices, or procedures cause unequal treatment of particular groups.

Objectification Theory

A theory which proposes that the cultural value placed on women’s appearance leads people to view women more as objects than as full human beings.