A class is divided randomly into two teams for a game of Jeopardy.Tamara,the captain of the winning team,is informed that as a prize she can either get 20 pieces of candy for her team,with the losing team getting 10 pieces,or she can get 15 pieces while the losing team gets none.Based on research using the minimal group paradigm,what prize is Tamara most likely to select?
A) 20 pieces for her team and 10 for the losing team
B) 15 pieces for her team and 0 for the losing team
C) She is likely to request that the two teams split the candy evenly.
D) She will have no preference between the two prize options.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Research using the minimal group paradigm suggests that people have a strong tendency to favor their own group even when the group membership is based on random or arbitrary criteria. In this case, Tamara is the captain of the winning team and is likely to feel a strong sense of group loyalty towards her team. Therefore, she will be more likely to choose the option that gives a greater advantage to her own team, even if it means the losing team will get nothing. Option B gives her team a better advantage than option A, so she is most likely to select this option.

A Class Is Divided Randomly into Two Teams for a Game