Judgment and Decision Making (Nov 2018)

Children’s application of decision strategies in a compensatory environment

  • Tilmann Betsch,
  • Anne Lehmann,
  • Marc Jekel,
  • Stefanie Lindow,
  • Andreas Glöckner

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1930297500006562
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13
pp. 514 – 528

Abstract

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Adaptive actors must be able to use probabilities as decision weights. In a computerized multi-attribute task, the authors examined the decisions of children (5–6 years, n = 44; 9–10 y., n = 39) and adults (21–22 y., n = 31) in an environment that fosters the application of a weighted-additive strategy that uses probabilities as weights (WADD: choose option with highest sum of probability-value products). Applying a Bayesian outcome-based strategy classification procedure from adult research, we identified the utilization of WADD and several other strategies (lexicographic, equal weight, naïve Bayes, guessing, and saturated model) on the individual level. As expected based on theory, the prevalence of WADD-users in adults was high. In contrast, no preschoolers could be classified as users of probability-sensitive strategies. Nearly one-third of third-graders used probability-sensitive strategies.

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