Joanna Meacham
Previous psychological research has found that several patterns and frequent errors emerge when individuals are asked to think of a random number, suggesting that responses are not chosen randomly. Analysing these patterns can provide insight into the way that instructions are interpreted, and decisions are made.
The current study explored this further through several novel components. First, asking for multiple four-digit numbers enabled consistency and variation in decision choice structure to be investigated. Second, collecting online responses rather than spoken responses used in past research allowed exploration of responses when respondents have a keypad to emphasis the available numerical values. Third, varying question format to consider how individuals formulate and interpret the question for the purpose of constructing a response. Fourth, comparing performance with a different question known to generate what is called the “Moses Illusion”, an error of question interpretation, to explore whether similar cognitive processes may be implicated in both tasks.
Almost 500 complete participant responses provided a rich data set available for statistical analysis. For example, initial number choice was shown to constrain later choices, whilst question format had little impact on response values. The study points to several conclusions about the nature of open-ended decision making.