Imagery and Decision Making

Question 1

Analog Representations

Answer 1

Pictorial and spatial (mental image)

Question 2

Propositional Representations

Answer 2

Descriptive, collection of traits, not pictorial

Question 3

Shepard & Metzler (Rotation Study)

Answer 3

Participants examined pairs of 3D drawings to see if they were the same. Pictures were rotated either in the picture or depth plane.

Results: the more the images were rotated, the slower the reaction time for both planes (more exaggerated on the picture plane)

Question 4

Kosslyn’s Image Size Study

Answer 4

Elephant vs Rabbit, Rabbit vs Fly (filling different portions of the visual field). Experimenter then asks questions about the rabbit (ie does it have whiskers) and measure reaction time. When the rabbit was compared with the fly and thus presented a larger mental image, reaction time was faster

Question 5

Expected Value

Answer 5

Sum of the expectation or probability of outcome O given the alternative, times the value of the outcome

1/38 chance ($36) + 37/38 (-$1)
.0263(36) + .9736(-1)
-.027

Question 6

Utility

Answer 6

Importance of an outcome rather than objective value (explains non-rational decisions)

Question 7

Subjective Expected Utility

Answer 7

List alternatives, list attributes associated with each alternative, determine subjective probability and utility (importance), multiply SP and U, sum the products for each alternative

Question 8

Probability Learning

Answer 8

Two lights (red and green), asked to guess which light will come on and paid if they’re correct. Probability is higher for one over the other and participants figure that out, but still randomise their guesses

Question 9

Why is SEU unrealistic?

Answer 9

Bounded rationality: limits of processing capacity

Satisficing: people don’t maximise outcomes but come up with a level that is satisfactory

Question 10

Representativeness Heuristic

Answer 10

Select outcomes based on the outcome’s similarity to the population and its randomness

We tend to ignore sample size (larger samples better), regression to the mean (assumption of lower- and higher-end scores), and base rates

Question 11

Availability Heuristic

Answer 11

Estimate frequency or probability of an outcome in terms of how easy it is to think of examples

Influenced by recency, familiarity, and vividness

Question 12

Anchoring and Adjustment Heuristic

Answer 12

Initial estimation, when additional info is provided the initial estimate is modified. BUT, anchor is usually too influential and adjustment is too small

Question 13

Sanfey’s Ultimatum Game

Answer 13

Proposer and responder: one given $10 and gets to decide how much to give. Either accept or reject offer. Offers were sometimes fair, sometimes not. When played against a computer, far more likely to accept unfair offers than when playing against a human