This question is missing the options. I've found the complete question online. It is as follows:
Imagine that a young child is just learning about the category "dog." Thus far, she has experienced only two dogs, one a small poodle and the other a large German shepherd. On her third encounter with a dog, she will be LEAST likely to correctly categorize the animal as a dog if that animal:
a) matches the size of the poodle but is of a different breed.
b) is a dog that does not bark.
c) matches an exemplar of one of the dogs she has experienced.
d) is similar to an "average" for the dogs she has encountered.
Answer:
She will be LEAST likely to correctly categorize the animal as a dog if that animal b) is a dog that does not bark.
Explanation:
This question is about schemas, the ideas we have concerning the world that surrounds us and that help us function in it. Schemas help us categorize things, which is what the young child is learning to do when she experiences encountering dogs. So far, she has seen two dogs that have provided enough information of the kind: a dog walks on all fours; it is furry; it has a tail; and it barks. If she encounters a dog that does not bark, unlike the poodle and the German shepherd, she will be least likely to categorize it as a dog. It will be missing an important idea in her schema.
