A Riddle For Saturday
CognitiveScience Saturday, January 24, 2004 . This is a SciScoop post by Ricky James
Answer and commentary available on several websites: She was hoping that the guy would appear at the funeral again.
“This was a test developed by a group of psychologists based on the teachings of the noted American psychologist, Lightner Witmer. It has been used to determine if one has the same mentality as a killer. 914 arrested serial killers took part in this test, and 904 answered it correctly.”
“If you answered correctly, you think like a psychopath. If not, good for you. If your friends hit the jackpot, may I suggest that you keep your distance.”
If you answered this question “correctly”, won’t you please leave us a comment bragging on your achievement here on SciScoop, complete with user name of course so we may praise you properly? I don’t know if Witmer or his students actually did this or not, although I came across a few references to the fact that he DID establish a clinic to deal with disturbed children and learning problems. Interesting to think about, regardless.
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9 Responses to A Riddle For Saturday
Anonymous
January 24th, 2004 at 11:42 am
Seriously, though… that’s not very rigorous science. Where’s the control group? You also need to ask 1000 well-adjusted people the riddle to determine if getting the riddle correct is really that much more common among the killers.
I mean, what if the question was ‘Do you like french fries’? Just because the majority of the killers might like french fries does not mean that a fondness for them indicates a psychopath.
gypsysoul
January 24th, 2004 at 12:05 pm
But, AH, where would you find 1,000 well-adjusted people??
BTW, I didn’t have a CLUE as to why the girl did away with her poor sibling. Of COURSE, she’s a psychopath. Intriguing men abound. Sisters, on the other hand, are irreplaceable.
apsmith
January 24th, 2004 at 7:52 pm
I figured the infatuation with the guy was a red herring, and she killed her sister to get the inheritance her mother left :-) oh well…
Anonymous
January 25th, 2004 at 2:26 pm
And what do the esteemed psychologists say about folks who pick stuff apart and analyze it to death?
As someone has already stated, the conclusions arrived at by psychologists through this riddle just are not far reaching enough.
I would have concluded also that the man in question must have been her sister’s father,(a step-father) and of course not her own. Otherwise, why should she assume he would continually show up at family funerals? Thus, falling in love with him would not entail incest.
If he was her mother’s co-worker, or another non-relative, for instance, he may not show up at a funeral for her sister. And why otherwise would she hate this sister enough to kill her over this man?
Men may take rather serious risks for the prospect of romance, but women very seldom would.
Anonymous
January 25th, 2004 at 4:51 pm
Alternatively, the woman was suffering from amnesia at the funeral, but later recovered. She realises that the man she met at the funeral was her sister’s husband, so she kills her sister to be with him.
Combining the character attributes of psychopath and amnesia makes for a perfect TV plot.
gypsysoul
January 26th, 2004 at 6:53 am
Perhaps they’re trying to find the truth — you know, much like researchers do.
BTW, I’m don’t concur that females seldom take very serious risks for the sake of romance. Not an analysis– just a gut feeling :-).
Anonymous
January 26th, 2004 at 10:08 am
…or have I simply watched too much CSI?
Anonymous
January 26th, 2004 at 12:08 pm
I’m a psychopath and I got it wrong! This is just
one more example of getting statistics to say whatever you want.
And I _do_ like french frys!
kryptothesuperdog
January 28th, 2004 at 10:37 am
I decided the familiarity and instant like was due to him being her real father, and it turned out her sister was having an affair with him, resulting in her mother’s suicide. So she killed her.
I’ve definitely been watching too much CSI