Part 2: Wason Logic and Social Tests

Conduct the Wason Logic and Social Tests with your friends/family and record the results. You can do this online, or in person.

1. Test 5-10 people (5 minimum). DO NOT tell participants anything about the test until you have completed BOTH Wason Tests (parts 2a and 2b).
2. You can do the test either one-on-one or in a group.
3. Ask each participant to write down their answers
4. Give them a fixed 30 seconds for each test from when you finish giving instructions to write down their answer. DO NOT DISCUSS RESULTS UNTIL THE END.
5. Be sure to do the Wason Logic test first, BEFORE the Wason Social Test
6. Write up the results for parts 2a and 2b, including

• Number of participants
• Answer per participant for Part 2a
• Answer per participant for Part 2b
• Did the Wason Tests accurately predict common behavior?

7. Again, complete both tests before telling participants which cards prove the rules.

Part 2a: Wason Logic Test:

RULE: If there is a vowel one side then there is an even number on the other side.

You have four cards in front of you.

Which two cards would you turn over to prove the rule?

2b. Wason Social Test:

An unmanned newspaper stand allows people to take a newspaper and pay for it by putting money into an honesty box. The assumption is that if you take a paper you put money in the box. A sociologist is watching to see if people are honest. They track the behavior for each person who comes to the stand by writing on a card.

• On one side the sociologist writes whether the person took a paper or not.
• On the other side the sociologist writes if the person paid money or not.

RULE: If you take a paper, you pay for the paper

Four people came to the stand, represented by the four cards below.

Which two cards would you turn over to determine if everyone was honest?