Mathematics · Level 1 · Foundation
Not all numbers are equal: preferences and biases among children and adults when generating random sequences
Towse JN, Loetscher T, Brugger P (2014). Frontiers in Psychology. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00019 · CC BY 3.0
Step 1 of 2Read the paper
When people try to call out numbers "at random", do they favour some numbers over others? The authors re-analysed earlier random-number studies with children (choosing from 1–10 or 1–7) and adults (choosing from 1–10), counting how often small, large and first-three numbers were chosen.
How to read it
- The last two paragraphs of the Introduction explain the two open questions the paper tackles.
- Analysis 1 and Table 1: note how each dataset compares small (1–5) with large (6–10) numbers.
- Figure 1 shows how often each number was chosen; the horizontal line marks what pure chance would give.
- In the final Discussion, look for how "small" is defined and for the limitation of a secondary analysis.
Step 2 of 2Take the test
5 questions · about 30 minutes including reading · pick an answer to see straight away if it’s right. Nothing is saved.
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Paper: Towse JN, Loetscher T, Brugger P, Frontiers in Psychology (2014), licensed CC BY 3.0. Summary and questions are Research Nest’s own; read the original for the full study.