Psychological Discussion. (Answer posted!)

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thread starter Kevvl Oct 21 2009 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

An activity I had in my Psych class that I thought would be fun to share with Basil. Probably shoulda left it for night-basil, but I think it's good now. A woman and her husband live together in a small cottage across from the main city. Every night her husband takes the ferry to work, every morning he takes the ferry back. The woman is very lonely at night, and so takes the ferry across the river shortly after her husband, where she has an affair overnight, and comes back in the morning before he arrives. She is always sure to break up the relationship before it gets too intense. One particular night she has a very large fight with her lover, and storms out of his house in a furious rage. Shortly thereafter she realizes that she's forgotten her money and can't get back home across the river without it. She heads back to her previous lover, apologizes, and asks if he can spare her some money for the ferry. He's quite upset, and so refuses. She then heads to an older lover, apologizes, and asks if he can spare her some money for the ferry. He's still shaken up from their breakup weeks past, so he too refuses. Desperate, she heads to the captain, and as a loyal frequent customer asks if he'll let her ride for free just this once. The captain knows her as a regular passenger, but rules are rules, and has to turn her away. Desperately, she decides to take a dangerous road back home, said to be fraught with danger and robbers. On the way, a highwayman jumps from a bush and demands her purse. She has no purse, and after a short struggle the highwayman stabs her. She bleeds to death shortly after. Who is most at fault for the woman's death? This is not a poll, I would ask you formulate your answer before reading the posts. Of course as this is a forum, discussion is encouraged. The answer! Yeah, there's a correct answer to this question. Seems most of you picked the woman, with a few people going further back and choosing the husband, and fewer still going with the highwayman. The person who is most responsible for the woman's death? The woman's death is the fault of the man who killed her. It's the highwayman! He actively chose to stab and kill the woman, regardless of her previous bad choices and terrible behavior, it is ultimately the highwayman's fault for stabbing and killing her! It's actually quite a tricky question, the way it's set up almost makes you want to say it's the woman because of her actions. Just think, if it had been a pastor who crosses the river every night to feed the homeless, but mistakenly spent all his money on food for the poor and couldn't afford the trip back. He had a sermon to deliver early in the morning and therefor had no choice but to take the dangerous route. Would you still blame him for the mistake of spending all his money on the poor? Does the blame change suddenly because of what happened before the murder? If there was a legal trial over the woman's death, who would we blame? The murderer of course is the highw

My Characters: Kevvl14 - 151 Bera Marksman

Deciduous + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

The woman. I remember having a question vaguely like this in my Psych class last year too...but I forgot what other chains of reasoning other people brought up.

My Characters: Grahamsss - 11 Broa Archer

fenrirslayer 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

obviously her. basically karma.

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Elecktique 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

The man that actually stabs the woman is at fault techically speaking. From a logical standpoint, her careless behavior ultimately lead her to her death.

My Characters: Elecktique - 100 Scania Thunder Breaker

IceyArcher 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

I suppose the woman. She should have been loyal to her husband who's got to travel a ways to put bread on the table. Then she breaks up with her lover, but comes right back asking for money? It's her own fault she ended up dead; she left her lovers empty handed when things got serious, the same way she left the robber. What comes around, goes around?

My Characters: StilettoStab - 47 Bera Bandit

Persephone 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

The highwayman. The woman may have made very poor choices in her time before the death & didn`t listen to the warnings, but her death could have been prevented. The highwayman could easily be an unorganized serial killer if he continuously meets passerbys who don`t have money

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Kevvl 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

[quote] Deciduous : The woman. I remember having a question vaguely like this in my Psych class last year too...but I forgot what other chains of reasoning other people brought up. [/quote] Hmm, I wonder if your answer would have been different had you remembered. There was a student in the class who couldn't quite remember it from before, so she had an opinion, but couldn't recall the reasoning.

My Characters: Kevvl14 - 151 Bera Marksman

Humanmango 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

The woman, obviously. You're married, for Pete's sake. You should know better than to sneak out for nightly trysts.

My Characters: NotEvenDrop - 55 Khaini Assassin

Deciduous 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

[quote] Kevvl : Hmm, I wonder if your answer would have been different had you remembered. There was a student in the class who couldn't quite remember it from before, so she had an opinion, but couldn't recall the reasoning. [/quote] Eh, I like how people are bringing up the highwayman (slipped my mind). But I think most of the discussion was based around the wife and husband, maybe one of the lovers or captain, but I think the reasoning for those are pretty weak.

My Characters: Grahamsss - 11 Broa Archer

takeyb0y2 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

The woman; how is it anyone else's fault that she forgot her money?

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Elecktique 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

[quote] Falician : The husband for not being enough. [/quote] So the husband is at fault for supplying food for them? Yeah... that's fair...

My Characters: Elecktique - 100 Scania Thunder Breaker

Deciduous 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

[quote] Elecktique : So the husband is at fault for supplying food for them? Yeah... that's fair... [/quote] You could debate that she was lonely because he wasn't giving her sufficient love and attention (not taking his job absence into account).

My Characters: Grahamsss - 11 Broa Archer

Beca 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

[quote] Elecktique : The man that actually stabs the woman is at fault techically speaking. From a logical standpoint, her careless behavior ultimately lead her to her death. [/quote] You are 100% right, in my opinion.

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ashesofasoul 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

God, obviously.

My Characters: SnowOfHeaven - 150 Scania Bow Master

DrunkSheep 10/21/09 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

Uh. I think it's her fault. She could have tried using the door-in-face technique with previous lovers too. :D

My Characters: Catatonique - 58 Yellonde Gunslinger