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Final exams are often a stressful season in the lives of college students. But one professor at the University of Maryland adds to the chaos by making his students think about test answers other students will give!
And the results often reveal deep insights about our society.
In July of 2015, a student at the University of Maryland tweeted a picture of the very last question he and his classmates were asked by their professor on the final exam in psychology. The question was for “extra credit,” but it might have been the toughest for the class to answer. Here’s what it said:
Here you have the opportunity to earn some extra credit on your final paper grade. Select whether you want 2 points or 6 points added onto your final paper grade. But there’s a small catch: if more than 10% of the class selects 6 points, then no one gets any points. Your responses will be anonymous to the rest of the class, only I will see the responses.
O 2 points
O 6 points
Pretty simple, huh? Just bubble in “2 points” and call it a semester, right?
Wrong!
According to Professor Dylan Selterman, PhD, the mastermind behind the test question, only one class since 2008 has ever gotten any extra credit points on his final exams. He attributes the poor results to a concept known as the tragedy of the commons. “The tragedy of the commons is basically a dilemma between doing what’s good for you as an individual versus doing what’s best for the group. Now it stands to reason that people behave selfishly. But if too many people behave selfishly, the group will suffer…and then everyone in the group individually will suffer.”
The “why settle for 2 points when I could have 6” mentality costs everyone, everything. Sad.
This group of students stands in stark contrast to the group of disciples who made up the early church. Look at what was written about their selflessness:
And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47)
The good of others or the good of self. We all have to make that call.
Click here for the online report.
Topics Illustrated Include:
College
Culture
Decision-Making
Greed
Results
School
Selfish
Selfless
Student
Test
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
