When guessing is better than thinking: Multiple bases for frequency judgments

Susanne Haberstroh (), Tilmann Betsch () and Henk Aarts ()
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Susanne Haberstroh: Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Postal: L 13, 15, D-68131 Mannheim
Tilmann Betsch: Universität Heidelberg/ Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Postal: Hauptstr. 47-51, 69117 Heidelberg
Henk Aarts: Universität Leiden

No 00-16, Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications from Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim

Abstract: There is an ongoing debate whether frequency judgments are based on mental magnitudes reflecting prior on-line recording of frequencies or on recall content available at the time of judgment. We conducted four experiments to demonstrate that task characteristics can determine which kind of information (mental magnitude vs. recall content) is used in frequency judgment. The results of the experiments convergently show that frequency judgments are likely to be based on mental magnitudes under time constraints or when participants are instructed to give spontaneous judgments. In contrast, when participants are paid contingent upon their performance or are instructed to be accurate, frequency judgments reflect recall content.

Pages: 34 pages
Date: 2000-05-04
Note: Financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 504, at the University of Mannheim, is gratefully acknowledged.
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