#24 - Must Be True

[15veries]

Hi

I thought E is correct because I thought U Game people reject receiving small amount of money because they care about other people's eyes. If they will accept it then other people will see you lower, so they refuse the proposal...why D? If this is the answer, then they don't have to care about how other people might think about you and you can easily accept it right?
If not it would be 0 but if you accept it, it is small, but still better than 0...

Maybe "proof" is too strong?

[David Boyle]

Hi

I thought E is correct because I thought U Game people reject receiving small amount of money because they care about other people's eyes. If they will accept it then other people will see you lower, so they refuse the proposal...why D? If this is the answer, then they don't have to care about how other people might think about you and you can easily accept it right?
If not it would be 0 but if you accept it, it is small, but still better than 0...

Maybe "proof" is too strong?

Hello,

Answer E is problematic because the thing about "millions of years in small groups" is meant to be an explanation of the Ultimatum Game, rather than the Game being proof about the "millions of years" idea.
"Because one- shot interactions were rare during human evolution, our emotions do not discriminate between one-shot and repeated interactions. Therefore, we respond emotionally to low offers in the Ultimatum Game because we instinctively feel the need to reject dismal offers in order to keep our self-esteem. This self-esteem helps us to acquire a reputation that is beneficial in future encounters." This implies that the Ultimatum Game is a one-shot interaction (it certainly isn't a repeated one), so answer D is correct.
Even though the Game is a brief transaction, we're emotionally "programmed" to behave as if all interactions are repeated, so to speak. So, we still reject low offers even though the Game is a one-shot interaction.

David

[nrpandolfo]

Why is B incorrect? Isn't a part of the passage how the ultimatum game results in a puzzling result in that it doesn't follow the theory of theoretical economics (rational self interest)?

[Alex Bodaken]

nrpandolfo,

Thanks for the question! (B) is incorrect because while there is evidence in the passage that the Ultimatum game represents a counter-example to theoretical economic theory, there is insufficient evidence in the passage to say that this game has (as answer choice (B) says) "overturn[ed] a basic assumption of theoretical economics." That is simply far too strong - we don't know that this assumption has been fully overturned, only that this game represents an example of when it may be wrong. Because this answer choice assumes more than the passage states, it is incorrect.

Hope that helps!
Alex

[PresidentLSAT]

Hello,

I have a question: where does the passage support "anonymous" in choice B?

[Robert Carroll]

PresidentLSAT,

Answer choice (D) is the answer I think you mean. The last paragraph talks about "one-time, strictly anonymous interactions". This isn't an arbitrary mention - the point is that the Ultimatum Game is one of those types of interactions. The first sentence of the passage makes this even more clear by describing it as an experiment involving two strangers.

Robert Carroll