Clever Question

[kaaatie]

I found this question and I think it's really clever. (This is from a practice question for the Australian Teriary Admissions Test).



[Poll #1011321]


The finger-print is known around the world, and its suggestions and significance can be interpreted from a range of different cultural perspectives. The image plays the apparent anonymity of a faceless, nameless human figure against the unique personal identity embodied by the fingerprint. Identifying the correct response depends on the candidate's ability to perceive this paradox within the image and then work out its most likely meaning. Distractors A and B are wrong because neither captures this central feature of the image; in fact, the uniqueness of a fingerprint suggests rather the opposite of conformity or disguise. D is wrong because the relationship between uniqueness and anonymity is reversed; it is the uniqueness that is fundamental and real rather than the anonymity.

Comments

[blackbirdshaq.livejournal.com]

A clever question indeed! And it appears I'm the only one so far who thinks my answer. :D

[kaaatie.livejournal.com]

It's a very cool question! I've updated the post with the details of the answer (which was C).

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Hmm, so is there a "correct" or a "most correct" answer?

I'd go for A, because while every fingerprint, just like every person, is unique; we are all forced into roles that our society defines. Just as those fingerprints (each unique) are making the picture of a man's suit...which I'd equate with conformity. How much we conform may vary, but we do all conform to society.

I can however make all the other answers work quite nicely for the picture too. It's sort of like one of those ink blot diagrams where each person could see a different thing, but A seems to fit it better in my mind. Obviously though most people don't agree and I would go for C next too. We appear to be anonymous among the masses, but really we are all unique.

Kinda cool! You could just sit about analysing it using sociology, philosophy and psychology. *big dorky grin*

[kaaatie.livejournal.com]

I agree that it's very cool, and you could analyse it a lot.

According to the test that I got it from, the correct answer is C. Here is the explanation:

The finger-print is known around the world, and its suggestions and significance can be interpreted from a range of different cultural perspectives. The image plays the apparent anonymity of a faceless, nameless human figure against the unique personal identity embodied by the fingerprint. Identifying the correct response depends on the candidate's ability to perceive this paradox within the image and then work out its most likely meaning. Distractors A and B are wrong because neither captures this central feature of the image; in fact, the uniqueness of a fingerprint suggests rather the opposite of conformity or disguise. D is wrong because the relationship between uniqueness and anonymity is reversed; it is the uniqueness that is fundamental and real rather than the anonymity.

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Haha! See, it's all about inerpretation and so I don't really get these kinds of tests. If they asked you to explain your answer and were testing you on your logic, that's cool, but how can they assume that it would mean the same thing to everyone? I don't see a faceless stranger, but a suit and that is different to me. They should have left out the tie and made him all black if they wanted me to see a faceless stranger. *grins like more of a geek*

[luxuria-oceanus.livejournal.com]

O.o I picked the right answer? Really? Well, I just figured the first two didn't make much sense to the picture and since the picture is kinda made by finger prints, they don't really look like individual finger prints till you get a closer look and try telling them apart... This is an opinion coming from a girl who had to compare a ficathon game to a 'secret santa' game in order to get it -_- My explanations are... weird?