Proportional Reasoning, Substitution Heuristic
Conditions
Keywords
proportion, hueristic
Brief summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether or not adults use a substitution heuristic when reasoning about proportions. The main question it aims to answer is: Do adults use a substitution heuristic when judging non-symbolic proportions, leading them to answer an easier, yet incorrect question? Researchers will compare performance at baseline with one of two conditions in order to see if forced behavioral changes can change performance on the task. Participants will be asked to compare two images and judge which has the higher proportion of the target color. Each participant will also be assigned to one of two condition where they either receive a further incentive for correct selections or are required to use more time when making their calculations.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALAdditional Incentive
During this behavioral intervention, participants will be given additional compensation for correct answers.
BEHAVIORALResponse Delay
During this behavioral intervention, participants will not be allowed to respond with their judgements until after a certain amount of time has passed.
BEHAVIORALBaseline Performance
In this intervention, the participant completes the task as it is typically administer for a baseline performance measure. The participant can respond at will and does not receive incentive for correct responses.
Sponsors
Michelle Hurst, PhD
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 64 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Typically developing people within the target age range
Exclusion criteria
* Individuals with known developmental or cognitive disorders * Participants must speak/read sufficient English to read and complete the informed consent document
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Proportion Correct | up to 20 minutes | Accuracy will be measured for each trial and combined into an overall score (i.e., proportion of trials correct). |
| Reaction Time | up to 20 minutes | Reaction time will also be tracked (i.e., time it takes to respond), with a faster reaction time indicating ease and/or efficiency with the task. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed