You have survived a plane crash.
The plane has crash-landed in water, at least one day away from the nearest island. Its electronic systems are damaged, so the pilot cannot send a mayday message. The one life raft that is intact can hold four people, and there are nine survivors. If you cannot make choices about who will go onto the raft, the plane will sink and all will die.
List of Survivors
Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Pete was the airplane’s pilot. Thanks to his flying expertise, he avoided an even worse accident and landed the plane in one piece on top of the water. He was trained as a pilot in the Navy and is the son of a decorated war veteran. He also likes to play volleyball and work on motorcycles. Recently, however, his colleagues have become concerned that he might have a drinking problem. He works as a volunteer, flying food parcels and delivering medical aid to places of crisis.
Alan Casey. Alan is a plastic surgeon who was returning from a medical conference, where he delivered a presentation on “Rebuilding Facial Features Following Accidents.” He owns a clinic in California and has made a considerable fortune from his medical practice. He has also established a charity for children with facial injuries. He is a recent divorcée with four adult children. He enjoys collecting vintage cars, gardening and deep-sea fishing.
Chris Taylor is a 45-year-old church minister. He has served as a missionary in Haiti for the past 15 years. He would like to take up a new post in Dubai, but he has not yet discussed this with his wife, Heather, who would prefer to return to the United States and start a career. At the same time, he wants to spend more time with his three children. Chris’s hobbies include playing bridge and fishing.
Heather Taylor is a 35-year-old volunteer who worked closely with her husband, Chris, in Haiti. There, she established a club for troubled youngsters that focused on teaching them skills, such as reading and orienteering. For many years, Heather has longed to be a writer; she has already written her first manuscript, which she would like to send to a publisher. Her book explores issues related to helping indigenous people and their way of life. She has three children.
Kathy Taylor is a 10-year-old epileptic who was flying with her parents at the time of the accident. She is a very smart girl and shows great talent in languages and music. She has a 16-year-old sister and a12-year-old brother, who attend boarding school back home. Kathy was reluctant to go on this trip and spend time away from school, but her father, Chris, insisted that she visit her siblings.
Ben Manson. Ben is a 47-year-old married man with two children. He has had quite the career. After college, he joined the U.S. Olympic team, where he earned a gold medal in swimming. He then used his reputation as an athlete to found a sports clothing business, which has earned him a fortune. Currently, he sits on the local school board. Before that, he was a member of his state’s legislature but resigned after a scandal linking him to insider trading. Ben likes to sail, play squash and grow orchids.
Gary Jones. Gary is a 30-year-old nurse and a member of Greenpeace. He broke off his engagement three years ago and instead chose to take up a post as a nursing officer at an Antarctic research station, where he carried out research on conditions such as hypothermia. After his trip home, Gary hoped to renew his contract with the research station and return to Antarctica. He enjoys scuba diving, badminton and dancing.
Professor Jennifer Rice. Professor Rice has served as a professor of microbiology at a prominent U.S. university for the past 10 years. She has developed an antibody to the HIV virus that has proved successful in tests on laboratory animals. She is 60 years old and unmarried. She has been physically disabled ever since she broke her back in a horse-riding accident at the age of 30. She uses a wheelchair. In addition to her love for teaching students, Professor Rice enjoys oil painting and reading crime fiction.
Tara Dow. Tara Dow is a 50-year-old executive with a Fortune 200 energy company. She is married but has no children. After spending 10 years in the U.S. Marines, she retired from service at age 30 as a captain. She has used her love of art and travel on behalf of a major U.S. art museum and has brokered negotiations in which the museum acquired several pieces of valuable art from overseas. She is currently chairwoman of a working group that seeks to improve inner cities through art. Sadly, Tara has recently been diagnosed as HIV positive.
When making your decisions remember that the tip to land in the raft will be grueling and not necessarily successful.
Now that you have completed the exercise, reflect as to your choices and how and why you made them. What does this tell you about the psychological way that you problem solve and make decisions.