When We Fail at Public Social Performances, Such as Accidentally

question 31

Multiple Choice

When we fail at public social performances, such as accidentally dropping a book in class, how do we repair our mistake?

• A) Most people immediately stop what they are doing and launch into a detailed apology.
• B) Most people signal that all is okay by quietly indicating that they have performed imperfectly.
• C) Most people go on as though nothing has happened.
• D) Most people involved in the scene will have an embarrassed reaction.

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Definitions:

Aplysia

A genus of sea slugs that are often used in neurological research due to their simple, large nerve cells.

Squirt

To eject liquid in a thin, fast stream through a narrow opening.

Classical Conditioning

A learning paradigm where two stimuli are unceasingly linked; initially, the response is triggered by the second stimulus, but with time, it is triggered by the first stimulus alone.

Neutral Stimulus

A stimulus that initially produces no specific response other than focusing attention.