Arbitrary numbers counter fair decisions: trails of markedness in card distribution

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-143481
  • Converging evidence from controlled experiments suggests that the mere processing of a number and its attributes such as value or parity might affect free choice decisions between different actions. For example the spatial numerical associations of response codes (SNARC) effect indicates the magnitude of a digit to be associated with a spatial representation and might therefore affect spatial response choices (i.e., decisions between a "left" and a "right" option). At the same time, other (linguistic) features of a number such as parity areConverging evidence from controlled experiments suggests that the mere processing of a number and its attributes such as value or parity might affect free choice decisions between different actions. For example the spatial numerical associations of response codes (SNARC) effect indicates the magnitude of a digit to be associated with a spatial representation and might therefore affect spatial response choices (i.e., decisions between a "left" and a "right" option). At the same time, other (linguistic) features of a number such as parity are embedded into space and might likewise prime left or right responses through feature words [odd or even, respectively; markedness association of response codes (MARC) effect]. In this experiment we aimed at documenting such influences in a natural setting. We therefore assessed number space and parity space association effects by exposing participants to a fair distribution task in a card playing scenario. Participants drew cards, read out loud their number values, and announced their response choice, i.e., dealing it to a left vs. right player, indicated by Playmobil characters. Not only did participants prefer to deal more cards to the right player, the card's digits also affected response choices and led to a slightly but systematically unfair distribution, supported by a regular SNARC effect and counteracted by a reversed MARC effect. The experiment demonstrates the impact of SNARC- and MARC-like biases in free choice behavior through verbal and visual numerical information processing even in a setting with high external validity.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Philipp A. Schroeder, Roland Pfister
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-143481
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Fakultät für Humanwissenschaften (Philos., Psycho., Erziehungs- u. Gesell.-Wissensch.) / Institut für Psychologie
Language:English
Parent Title (English):Frontiers in Psychology
Year of Completion:2015
Volume:6
Pagenumber:240
Source:Frontiers in Psychology, 6:240 (2015). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00240
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00240
Dewey Decimal Classification:1 Philosophie und Psychologie / 15 Psychologie / 150 Psychologie
Tag:MARC effect; SNARC; SNARC effect; and justice for all; asymmetry; classification; embodied cognition; free choice; habits; line; linguistic markedness; magnitude; mental representation; numerical cognition; right-oriented bias; space; spatial numerical associations
Release Date:2018/05/22
Licence (German):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International