As to the conclusions, is it really any surprise that the researchers got the results they did? Theres Plenty to Do, Video: The Mystery behind BUs Record-Breaking Indoor Track, BU Opts against Forswearing Investments in Gun Manufacturers, 11 Books to Read in Celebration of Womens History Month, Today I Learned: The Smell of Formaldehyde Makes You Hungry, New Music March 2023: Local Boston Concerts, New Album Releases, Comics Artist Joel Christian Gill Launches BUs New Visual Narrative MFA Degree, POV: Lincoln Struggled with Depression. Assumptions are tough to ignore but so frequent in occasion. However, it was fun to read. Your email address will not be published. They are rushed to the hospital. The man was killed, but the son lived and was rushed to a hospital. And I look at that course of history that . And indeed to maybe do it even more properly, as mentioned here, https://www.bu.edu/articles/2014/bu-research-riddle-reveals-the-depth-of-gender-bias/#comment-7240542 you need to rephrase to parent and child, to remove the priming. It leaves a lot of room for interpretation and assumption. That is to say, the sons father was not in the car. You Are Your Own, a curated collection of my feminist poems is available on Amazon & Free via Kindle Select: https://rb.gy/ncz77r. Perhaps, when a person is confronted with something confusing, they fall back on not sure what term to use here older knowledge maybe? Let this ignorance be a lubricant to slide in new ideas to shape the landscape viewed with our differed perspectives. Upon seeing the young boy, the surgeon said, "I can't operate - this is my son. the man was killed, but the son lived and was rushed to a hospital. You should read Lateral Thinking by DeBono. Yet, I found myself thinking faster in the recognition of the opaque geographic and religious bias within the piece. Because children and adults both scored the same, there is no acquired bias. I asked the mother-daughter question to a unique set of individuals from my department, and 100% of them got it right. Plus, calling it a riddle generally makes it seem like you have to think outside of the box to get the answer, whereas thinking that the surgeon is the mother is rather more inside the box than most people would expect. The first thing that came into my mind is whose father? When they arrived, an old gray surgeon was called in to operate. But he had only two surgical gloves. Two ambulances came and took them to different hospitals. Connect to us. You may ask one question, to one guard, to help you decide which door is the correct one. This is my comment on this. How could this be? - Ryan Howard So we trade on bashing for another. A patient is rushed into the emergency ward of the National Hospital after a horrific road crash, and is in urgent need of an operation to save his life. An old riddle: Two siblings are born naturally on the same date, in the same year, to the same mother and father. Alternatives to the male/female family model are making in-roads. How is this possible? Its a loaded riddle in an attempt to misjudge and stereotype the answers people give. In both tales its people of the same gender in the car, priming your brain to think of that gender when answering the question. Published: Nov 30, 1999. how can this be? In these languages you probably unconsciously relate to word describing jobs ending with consonant to a men. Furthermore, there is a cop-out solution that betrays your insistence on pointing out gender bias to the detriment of adoption. What I think is the more valuable information gained from this study is that the majority of respondents were more likely to accept that the parents were a same sex couple than break gender norms. The Riddle. You need to be able to explain what the article is about to your class (brief explanation/important details). The son was taken to the hospital. Its like when you touch you chin and tell someone something is on their cheek, yet they touch their chin because you are touching your chin. The best part of various responses were fruit for thought. The man's son was in the operating room and the doctor said, "I can't operate on you. A father and his son are in a car accident. I have seen this before but thanks for the reminder of Gender Bias. We think past the obvious. Youre making a biased assumption there assuming that biological parents are never involved in their childrens lives whatsoever after adoption. Share This Riddle. The surgeon on duty walks into the room and says "Oh my god! Black shoes, socks, trousers, jumper, and gloves. 40-75% of people can't solve this riddle because they're unable to imagine the surgeon is a woman. However, on seeing the boy, the surgeon blanched and muttered, "I can't operate on this boy he's my . Stephanie Coontz, who teaches history and family studies at Evergreen State College in Washington state, cited the BU duos work in a New York Times column on the problems facing mothers in the workplace. A man and his son were rock climbing on a particularly dangerous mountain when they slipped and fell. This riddle has nothing to do with bias and everything to do with framing a desired outcome to prove a point. I had no problem thinking the surgeon was his mother, but equally thought it could have been a second father. ) at the end, to finally justify the revelation of an already existing situation. But before you answer you must keep standing in this line. . Ideally, they should have groups where they pair father and son with nurse, and mother and daughter with surgeon so that the gender schemas are not violatedand then groups where they use father and daugher or mother and son being in the accident, to avoid priming participants one way or the other. The father dies immediately, but the. The validity of the conclusion reached here is questionable. And when I told them yes, the answer is mom, they all thought that I was teasing them. Self-described feminists did better, she says, but even so, 78 percent did not say the surgeon was the mother. Julian pipes in, "I also don't know my number . The doctor comes in and exlaims "I can't operate on this boy." "Why not?" the nurse asks. If it was neutral by using words like parent and child or they then people would be more inclined to choose mother or father but instead the riddle conditions people to subconsciously think of males that you are doomed to be biased from the begining. Why couldnt the surgeon perform the surgery on, what I was thinking, HIS OR HER son? A son and father are driving in a car. After the 7-minute hourglass runs out, turn it over to start it again . Tucker makes the case that there is a war against Christians happening in America on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight:' TUCKER CARLSON: You always imagine in your mind's eye that it's evil men who destroy . One guard always lies, and one always tells the truth. Use "I . Ask a subgroup of people the following question and see if they are more likely to solve the riddle: A mother and daughter are in a horrible car crash that kills the mother. Riddle starts like,A father and son. Here is the riddle: "Each of you has a hat on your head. Heres my problem with the riddle: The way its asked makes you expect a clever answer. Most people subconsciously think that the doctor is the mother of the child, I immediately was thinking that that was his stepfather. The whole point of the riddle is that the gender of the doctor is ambiguous *neither* gender would be a control in this study! This inspires critical thinking. A man and his son are driving to the supermarket. BUs Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy. Maybe what that really reveals is that this riddle isnt really an accurate test of gender bias and is in fact a very childish and simplistic way of approaching a serious issue. Almost everyone or at least those who have seen Tin Cup knows the answer to this riddle: A man and his son are in a car accident. -IIRC, when I used to watch ALL IN THE FAMILY reruns as a teenager (!) Here's an old riddle. Youd think they would prefer to be the one doing it to ensure it got done right, Also theres no way they would be waiting an hour if it were the doctors child so that messes people up even further. If you think like, surgeons father and surgeons son then I think answer is different. Quite a sad excuse for a doctor. Riddle: One of these words does not belong: Brawl, Carrot, Change, Clover, Proper, Sacred, Stone, Seventy, Swing, Travel. Aside: The answer to my old riddle is yes, absolutely! Harvards long-running Implicit Association Project has a test based on gender bias and careers. I have seen this before and therefore knew the surgeon was the boys mother! Gender schemasgeneralizations that help us explain our complex world and dont reflect personal values or life experience, says Wapman. I also thought that the surgeon was his mother. Another commenter did do the reversed version informally, see https://www.bu.edu/articles/2014/bu-research-riddle-reveals-the-depth-of-gender-bias/#comment-7240559, the findings were that the true reversed version: >Ive done a very similar informal experiment with my colleagues (we are all chemists a very male-dominated field). Q: A dad and his son were riding their bikes and crashed. The riddle is packed full of male pronouns. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Mostly because of the wording of the riddle. Answer: A candle. Being aware that schemas and biases exist is the first step to untangling them. Isnt this a more realistic indicator of the status of women in medicine than this (very old, by the way) riddle? son gets taken to the hospital for surgery. If you are aware of the father being gay then you are enlightened. For example, cirujano literally means [male] surgeon, and cirujana means [female] surgeon. The setup: A father and his son are in a car accident. And you should feel bad for saying the 10 year old is stupid. >A mother and daughter are in a horrible car crash that kills the mother. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Like a judge, I thought HE OR SHE recused him/herself on this basis. So, to call people out as prejudice is kind of unfair. I thought along the same lines. The specialist arrives, looks at the son and says, I cannot treat him as he is my son.. If I am a conservative you made me angry and did nothing to help me supposedly to be less biased. Perhaps the only native of Trenton, N.J., who will volunteer his birthplace without police interrogation, he graduated from Dartmouth College, spent 20 years as a small-town newspaper reporter, and is a formerBoston Globereligion columnist, book reviewer, and occasional op-ed contributor. That means no one is right or good. In the operating room, a doctor came in and looked at the little boy and said I can't operate on him he is my son. This is an example of the unconscious bias that can exist in the minds of people when it comes to women in medicine. I made the assumption that the surgeon was male. It just trades bashing by conservatives for bashing by liberals. I love the outcome and determination of the female. You're my son.". This is very thought provoking. Profile. Also, I take a remarkable amount of umbrage to the bible belt comment in the second or third paragraph, because I was raised in the bible belt and still live there. What type of chair is electric, you can't get out of it on your own, but if someone helps you get out you're not dead? BTW, the cognitive processes are relevant to my work, as I am a stage hypnotist, MBPsS with a BSc in Psychology. evenself-described feminists tended to overlook the possibility that the surgeon in the riddle was a she. Father, Son, Dad, Boythe story is riddled with male descriptionsof course you may jump to conclusions. Sure, now I know how deep it is, but I am not going to go over the falls. We were created equal and that is what I believe. would be fine with the answer being two dads. Riddle: The doctor said "I can't operate on you. 12:22 PM. The punchline here is the thought that enlightenment can eliminate the predisposition. The riddle is like a game, and is also built to show the reader there is a sore spot in society (like an old fracture), and one way to illustrate it is to make the reader it self puts the finger on it, and press hard without warning. At whose portrait was Harsh was looking? Thank you thank you. The frog is dead. Should Tech Companies Be Held Accountable for Letting Terrorists on Their Sites? "I can't operate on this boy: he is my son." How can this be? When they arrived, an old gray surgeon was called in to operate. I assume the parenthetical was added later because many commenters asked whether there was a control group. The son was taken to the hospital. These things come out of otherwise very intelligent people. 6 saves. This is a clever article, and I agree completely with the sentiment. You do not know the color of the hat on your own head. I was thinking the crash emotionally killed the father Like a true psychology major. And yeah, schemas do exist, they sometimes change, and they interfere in our thoughts and actions lets all study psychology ;), Excludent isnt a real word (except in mathematics), The same issue arises in the Spanish version, which is that a son and his father get into a car accident and are taken to the nearest clinic. the answer to this riddle- the surgeon was the boys mother! Imagine that. Most importantly, you must NEVER reveal the solution until the recipient has either shown they can answer it themselves or have tried with a number of explicit attempts. In comparison, languages that have derived from Latin, usually have a strong connotation of gender associated to the words, for a more explicit meaning. Ali on 01.15.2018 at 2:04 am said Have fun with the best riddles to train your brain, gathered by Pocoyo. (Cue the final Jeopardy! I must honestly say. Lets see the issue in Portuguese. the fourth son of my father is an obedient servant in the hands of men but when he losses his master he becomes an unmercifully god, the fifth son of my father is the center of our lives, Start both hourglasses as you start boiling the egg. I'll post the answers after you have guessed. Is this possible or impossible? No, the reversed version is actually not reversed, it contains another gender bias (that a nurse is female). The father dies instantly, and the son is taken to the nearest hospital. Photo by Cydney Scott, Heres an old riddle. The researchers addressed this; its covered in the fourth paragraph: (The results were no different for an alternate version of the riddle: a mother is killed, her daughter sent to the hospital, and a nurse declines to attend to the patient because that girl is my daughter; few people guessed that the nurse might be the childs father.). "I can't operate on this boy, he's my son". We live in a very gender biased culture. Good luck getting this into any respectable journal, because the conclusions do not follow logically on the outcomes. We have bias instinctually and its a reality. Judge folks by their actions, not their unguarded thoughts. Email me at this address if my answer is selected or commented on: Email me if my answer is selected or commented on. Having people understand that they hold this bias, says Wapman, and when you look at job applicants, keep that in mind., Eternal vigilance, I think, is the only solution, says Belle. In research conducted by Mikaela Wapman (CAS14) and Deborah Belle, a College of Arts & Sciences psychology professor, even young people and self-described feminists tended to overlook the possibility that the surgeon in the riddle was a she. And from his pet cemetery film Gates of Heaven (1978) to his portrait of right-wing provocateur Steve Bannon, American Dharma (2018), he has been adored and controversial, and has challenged the . The phrasing of a question often predetermines the response due to our language processing facility. I also thought up the male nurse version (so Im happy to see it was proposed here, too) and am going to try that out next. It is also common to refer to someone as my son or daughter in the African American community in the United States southern region. If their picks matched either of those, you could argue there wasnt a gender bias. It is very interesting that everyone thinks differently. Oh, what a bigoted intolerant bunch we all are. I assume that also the reversed nurse question, 100% would get this one right: >A father is killed, his son sent to the hospital, and a nurse declines to attend to the patient because that boy is my son. Hate that it is unfair at times. When he gets . We are a species that has deep roots in survival because of bias and it will ebb and flow throughout time. Belle et al . You dont assume anything because it will cause trouble down the road. Required fields are marked *, Pioneering Research from Boston University, BostonUniversity. My first though was that it was a gay couple who adopted. If anything, the wording of the riddle (by already establishing who one parent is) should skew the ambiguous choice toward being female, as the most stereotypical parent pairing is male/female. The only states where same-sex marriage is illegal as of 2014 are Georgia and North Dakota, at that they might be struck down by the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling. It is true, the first thing that comes to mind is the surgeon is a male. Perhaps the boy was only given up for adoption because his father (and presumably mother) were not in a position where they could provide for and raise a child but they did still want to have some involvement in the childs life as a stipulation of the open adoption. Our outlooks may be changing. The man is killed instantly. - question and answer in the Random club For example, the BU student cohort, where women outnumbered men two-to-one, typically had mothers who were employed or were doctorsand yet they had so much difficulty with this riddle, says Belle. So check your facts before generalizing a whole third of the country you bigot. While driving they get in an accident that kills the father immediately and sends the son to the hospital. Just based on statistics. Thus, an interesting piece on at least three kinds of bias: gender, geographic, and religious. (Again) We are all equally different, but with a common factor as a goal: RESPECT; Not to demand it from others and bend this world to our individual shape, but to grow as individuals in a well seasoned harmonized society. Answer: Light. Ali, thats quite an astute observation there. That's because the doctor is the boy's MOTHER. Want the solution? Two ambulances came and took them to different hospitals. Your riddle has nothing to do with the riddle in this article. HOWEVER, that was in the mid-nineties, long after the idea of a woman being a surgeon had become ingrained in society. Im not sure if the story was about Black people that would have change the number of people thinking she was his mother? * Male surgeon: cirurgio The father dies at the scene and the son, badly injured, is rushed to the hospital. The riddle assumes most people would assume the doctor is a man. Chicago Med and The Good Doctor both have female surgeons and male nurses. Who will save us from ourselves? The riddle made no stipulation that they were related. So to me the fact that rationalizing two dads as a likelier explanation than a female doctor is incredibly telling, and suggests that gender bias is really extreme. If I am a liberal I would be angry because you just weakened our side by being hypocritical. I am sure a probably would not have thought they were gay and therefore not considered the surgeon as the second father, The riddle probably confuses people even more because what mother doctor would refuse to operate on their child to save their life? You measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. Easy Riddles for Kids. However, some of them added something along the line of well, or maybe the surgeon is the mombut then this wouldnt be a riddle. Plus if you do mess up, the guilt would be unbearable. Why would I ask them to solve a riddle with such a trivial answer ?! I did go to the assumption was 2 fathers. Descriptions: A father and his son were in a car accident. It doesnt mean we are bias! But many will name that answer, as well as the doctor being his other gay dad. The results are all the more surprising considering that college students and participants in tony Brooklines summer programs likely hail from higher income and educational backgrounds than the general population. The man died on the way, but the son was still barely alive. Question: A man and his son are in a terrible accident and are rushed to the hospital in critical care. Looking at the portrait of a man, Harsh said "His mother is the wife of my father's son. He is my son." This article inflames the fight and does not help gender bias at all. Nor could several of her friends. Maybe even quadruplets? Twisty Riddles Answers. Exactly. Have you seen it? RIDDLE TIME: A father and his son were in a car accident. What is the largest possible number you can write using only 2 numbers - just 2 numbers, no other mathematical symbols? It doesnt seem very enlightened to me to suggest that where youre from dictates the level of compassion or intelligence you can have. The doctor may be the boys uncle from the paternal or maternal side. The man died on the way to the hospital, but the boy was rushed into surgery. Im a woman surgeon and I didnt even get it! ) at the end, to finally justify the revelation of an already existing situation. Fortunately, my daughter answered it correctly so maybe Im doing something right. Therefore,I would need more information to answer the question. He needed immediate surgery. this will help to think out of box. If their picks skewed to one gender more than that, thatd be evidence of bias. 2. The Backlot. I tried to convince myself that the words father and he were occupying my brain space. This is a very old and classic riddle. "Because he's my son," the doctor responds. Sadly, my mind also went straight to male.. This inspires critical thinking. However, it was fun to read. He is my SON!" I realize Im 8 years late on answering but its the thought that counts. So No one is stupid; and there is no real need to get angry because it somehow makes the reader feel guilty or confused. Actually, this issue is rather simple: in English, words dont have enough weight on gender, but the human mind relies heavily on words to make any and all sense out of everything. Yet another variation has the police responding to a tip . It made me realized I am Bias! Obviously the father is officially dead and out of the picture. The problem exists, and it is real. I think the brain is wired to automatically think that the surgeon is male, hence it became confusing that the one who died is the father. A cowboy rides into town on Friday. I had to read the riddle again. The father and son are both badly injured and are rushed to the hospital. Two fathers and two sons went hunting and shot three ducks. And yeah the bible belt remark is embarrassing. She thinks for a moment and then says, "I don't know what my number is.". by Amira Tankel. Email me at this address if a comment is added after mine: Email me if a comment is added after mine. The son is rushed to the hospital; just as he's about to go under the knife, the surgeon says, "I can't operatethat boy is my son!" Explain. The son was taken to the hospital. The surgeon is the boy's mother. I still assumed male. The son is rushed to the hospital; just as hes about to go under the knife, the surgeon says, I cant operatethat boy is my son! Explain. Then 100% gets it right out of 10. What are we? At least television is getting it, finally. I am extremely shocked that I did not get it. For example, in Portuguese: The new Xbox is in "standby" mode and can be . This father could have seen his child (or even just pictures of him)on a regular enough basis to recognize him when he saw him. You're my son.". Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation. "Because he's my son," the doctor responds. The son is rushed to the hospital; just as he's about to go under the knife, the surgeon says, "I can't operatethat boy is my son!" Explain. The dead so-called father had been cheated by the mother to this boy who had lied to him that this boy is his. How stupid and trivial to indulge in characterizations like this. Your reaction to situations is built upon what you know to be true. Well, how would the biological father know that that was his son? Let me add this. I have been playing people with this riddle for about 30 years, since discovering it in Scientific American. What goes with a car, comes with a car, has no use to a car, but the car cannot move without it? The solution? Sopeople are wired to look at the world through stereotypes and assumptions? Read the logic puzzles that we propose and argue the answers. Brian Stuy, who runs the service DNAConnect, estimates there's . We are still very far in terms of parity in the minds of people in general Truly immediately I had my mind on a man as the surgeon. The riddle is packed full of male pronouns. The operator is a female. A: There weren't any stairs, it was a one story house! The problem exists, and it is real. If you haven't heard it, give yourself time to answer before reading past this paragraph: a father and son are in a horrible car crash that kills the dad. I agree that this study would need a control group, or at the very least change the wording to a girl and her father or a boy and his mother to avoid priming the group. He can't breathe if he tore a hole in his space suit. The father died. This is an eye opener article. The father dies on the scene, but the child is rushed to the hospital. is a senior writer at BU Today andBostoniamagazine. To my opinion it could be a case of adoption. Looking at the portrait of a man, Harsh said, "His mother is the wife of my father's son. I am the first son of my father, The man's son was in the operating room and the doctor said, "I can't operate on you. He's my son." Yet the doctor was not the boy's father. The doctor came in and said: I can't do surgery on him, because he's my son. I once gave this riddle to my wife and she did not get the answer. P.S: to show how gender biased againfrom your listed name, I also pictured you as a male first then only remembered the name could be either. ..Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. One out of every ten graduate students and professors that I asked were able to answer the original riddle correctly most people say some variation of second father. A man was driving with his son in his car. A doctor wants to operate for three different persons who were wounded. Despite this I, a self-proclaimed feminist, *immediately* thought the surgeon was another father before I self-corrected and decided it was more likely that the surgeon was his mother.