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Anchoring bias in mental arithmetic.

Samuel Shaki1, Martin H Fischer2

  • 1Department of Psychology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel. Samuel_shaki@hotmail.com.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Adults show biases in mental arithmetic, with reverse operational momentum (OM) observed. This study reveals operation-based and order-based anchoring effects in mental calculations, clarifying OM origins.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Numerical Cognition
  • Mathematical Cognition

Background:

  • Mental arithmetic performance is influenced by biases, with the operational momentum effect (OM) being a key area of study.
  • Existing research on OM presents conflicting findings regarding the direction of over/underestimation in addition and subtraction.
  • Theoretical accounts for OM offer opposing predictions, necessitating further investigation to resolve discrepancies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of operand order and operation type in mental arithmetic biases.
  • To differentiate between operation-based and order-based anchoring effects in symbolic mental calculation.
  • To test competing theoretical explanations for the operational momentum effect.

Main Methods:

  • Symbolic stimuli and responses were used to ensure accurate operand encoding and result reporting.
  • Operand order was manipulated through calculation instructions (e.g., '29 + 19' vs. 'add 19 to 29').
  • Experiments utilized both auditory and visual presentation formats with adult participants (N=30 per experiment).

Main Results:

  • A reverse operational momentum (OM) effect was observed, characterized by overestimations in subtraction and underestimations in addition.
  • Operation-based anchoring influenced mental arithmetic outcomes.
  • Order-based anchoring, where the first-mentioned operand acts as a stronger anchor, was also identified and found to be independent of operation-based anchoring.

Conclusions:

  • The study demonstrates both operation-based and order-based anchoring effects in mental arithmetic.
  • These findings extend the known anchoring effect into the domain of mental calculation.
  • The discovered anchoring mechanisms provide a resolution for competing theories on the origin of operational momentum (OM).