A number of college students were recruited by the psychology

­A number of college students were recruited by the psychology department to participate in a paid, unspecified experiment, which turned out to be a menial, monotonous counting exercise. Unbeknownst to the students, half of the participants were paid a meager rate for their participation, while half received a generous rate. After the counting exercise was complete, each student was asked questions on his or her perception of the counting exercise. Surprisingly, the participants who had been paid less reported higher levels of enjoyment in completing the exercise than the higher-paid participants did.

Which of the following hypotheses, if true, best accounts for the findings of the experiment?

A. In both groups, the portion of the brain activated by counting was disrupted by the exercise and distorted perceptions of financial quantities.

B. Those who counted faster in the experiment experienced more satisfaction than those who counted more slowly.

C. The participants who were paid less had more motivation, conscious or unconscious, to justify their participation in the menial exercise.

D. The energy expenditure of counting in the human mind was associated with the cognitive load of worrying about a quantity of money.

E. Counting is most capably performed by accountants, whose level of satisfaction is highest while they are at work.



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