Actual Facts Over Actor Belief
This trap appears as a wrong-answer choice in 1 active question. Spotting how it is built is the repair: read each example's “why it's attractive” before the “why it's wrong.”
Subject distribution
- Criminal Law1
Example wrong choices
14630_fellowship_hall_white_powder · CRIMINAL_LAW · Choice ABoth Peter and Lydia are guilty of attempting to sell cocaine.
Why it's attractive
Students see Lydia's guilt and overextend it to Peter.
Why it's wrong
Overincludes Peter; Lydia-guilty side is right, Peter-guilty side is wrong.
Spot it next time
Test Peter and Lydia separately.
14630_fellowship_hall_white_powder · CRIMINAL_LAW · Choice BNeither Peter nor Lydia is guilty of attempting to sell cocaine.
Why it's attractive
Students stop at the actual fact that the powder was not cocaine.
Why it's wrong
Treats fake powder as ending the attempt question for Lydia.
Spot it next time
Ask whether Lydia's conduct would be criminal if the facts were as she believed.
14630_fellowship_hall_white_powder · CRIMINAL_LAW · Choice CPeter is guilty of attempting to sell cocaine, but Lydia is not.
Why it's attractive
Students focus on Peter as supplier and miss that Lydia is the actor who believed the powder was cocaine.
Why it's wrong
Reverses the actor-belief facts.
Spot it next time
Write: Peter knew fake; Lydia believed cocaine.
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