Which, according to the author, would qualify as interesting psychology? (2005) Options: A . &nbspA statistician's dilemma over choosing the best method to solve an optimization problem. B . &nbspA chess player's predicament over adopting a defensive strategy against an aggressive opponent. C . &nbspA mountaineer's choice of the best path to Mt Everest from the base camp. D . &nbspA finance manager's quandary over the best way of raising money from the market. E . &nbspScience progresses by collection of observations or by experimentation, whereas pseudo-sciences do not worry about observations and experiments.

Which, according to the author, would qualify as interesting psychology? (20

Question

Which, according to the author, would qualify as interesting
psychology?
(2005)

Options:

A . A statistician's dilemma over choosing the best method to solve an optimization problem.

B . A chess player's predicament over adopting a defensive strategy against an aggressive opponent.

C . A mountaineer's choice of the best path to Mt Everest from the base camp.

D . A finance manager's quandary over the best way of raising money from the market.

E . Science progresses by collection of observations or by experimentation, whereas pseudo-sciences do not worry about observations and experiments.

Answer: Option B
:
B
Option: (b)
In the last two lines of the fourth paragraph, the author
mentions that 'chess may be psychologically interesting but only to the
extent that it is played not quite rationally'. Answer choice (b) talks of
exactly one such incident wherein one of the players plays irrationally thus
making it the correct answer choice.

Para 1:
·
Game of strategy: situation in which 2 or more players make
choices among available alternatives.
·
Totality of choices determines the outcome of the game, and it
is assumed that the rank order of preferences for the outcomes is different
for different players.
·
"Interests" of players are generally in conflict.
·
Whether these interests are diametrically opposed or only
partially opposed depends on the type of the game.

Para 2:
·
Most interesting situations arise when the interests of the
players are partly co-incident and partly opposed.
·
Each is torn between a tendency to co-operate, so as to
promote the common interests, and a tendency to compete, so as to enhance his
own individual interests.

Para 3:
·
Inner conflict is also held to be an important component of
serious literature as distinguished from less serious genres.
·
Classical tragedy and serious novels: talk of inner conflict.
·
Superficial adventure story: talks of external conflict.
·
On the most primitive level, this sort of external conflict is
psychologically empty.

Para 4:
·
A great deal of interest in the plots of these stories is
sustained by withholding the unraveling of a solution to a problem.
·
The effort of solving the problem is in itself not a conflict
if the adversary remains passive.
·
If the adversary actively puts obstacles in the path towards
the solution, there is conflict.
·
Conflict is psychologically interesting only to the extent
that it contains irrational components.
·
Conflicts conducted in a perfectly rational manner are
psychologically no more interesting.

Para 5:
·
A pure conflict of interest
although it offers a wealth of interesting problems, is not interesting
psychologically, except to the extent that its conduct departs from rational
norms.

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