Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4) Practice Exam 2025 - Free CAT4 Practice Questions and Study Guide

The "drinking beer" version of the Wason problem involves a scenario where participants must determine which cards to turn over to confirm a rule, specifically focusing on social norms about behavior. The application of a permission schema is particularly effective because it relates directly to understanding social rules and conditional reasoning regarding actions that are permissible.

In this context, the permission schema helps participants recognize that the rule implies a conditional relationship: if someone is drinking beer, then they must be of legal drinking age. This schema enables participants to shift from abstract logical reasoning to more concrete social situations, making the task more intuitive. The activate ability to think about peers, societal norms, and the consequences of actions provides a clearer framework to solve the problem, making the logical relationships more accessible.

This contrasts with other potential schemas that might not align as well with the social context of the problem. For instance, a logical schema might focus on the abstract rules without the social implications, while a moral schema might impose ethical considerations that are less relevant in this specific problem. Thus, the application of a permission schema effectively simplifies the reasoning process in the "drinking beer" task.