Consider this problem: "A farmer had 15 sheep. All but 7 died. How many sheep did he have left?" Megan, the math major, arrived at the wrong answer; she said 8. Her response was probably based upon
A)a mental set.
B)functional fixedness.
C)parallel processing.
D)overconfidence.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Megan's answer of 8 is likely due to a mental set, as she may have been accustomed to subtraction problems where one number is taken away from another. In this case, the wording of the problem may have led her to incorrectly subtract 7 from 15, rather than recognizing that all but 7 died means that there are 7 left.

Consider This Problem: "A Farmer Had 15 Sheep