Intensional Orientation

Project 2

In an experiment conducted some years ago students were given a package of pictures and were asked to scratch out the eyes of the persons in the pictures. In the package and unknown to the subjects were pictures of their mothers. When the subjects came to the pictures of their own mothers, they could not scratch out the eyes.

Why do you think they could not do this? How would you describe this in terms of intensional – extensional orientation? Would you respond differently from these subjects? Why? Why not?