Cognitive Reflection Overriding Intuitive Errors Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A magazine and a banana together cost $3.30. The magazine costs $3.00 more than the banana. How much does the banana cost?
- $0.30
- $3.00
- $0.15 (Correct answer)
- $3.15
Correct answer: $0.15
The intuitive answer is $0.30, but this is incorrect. If the banana cost $0.30, the magazine would cost $3.30 ($3.00 + $0.30), making the total $3.60. The correct way to solve this is with algebra: Let B be the cost of the banana. The magazine's cost is B + $3.00. The total is B + (B + $3.00) = $3.30. This simplifies to 2B = $0.30, so B = $0.15.
Question 2: Which of the following cognitive mechanisms best explains why people make mistakes on classic CRT problems like the 'bat and ball' question?
- Confirmation Bias
- Attribute Substitution (Correct answer)
- Hindsight Bias
- Anchoring Bias
Correct answer: Attribute Substitution
Attribute substitution is the process where an individual has to make a complex judgment and unconsciously substitutes an easier, more accessible attribute to answer. In CRT problems, the brain replaces the more complex algebraic calculation with a simpler, but incorrect, subtraction heuristic.
Question 3: Emily's father has five daughters: 1. Lala, 2. Lele, 3. Lili, 4. Lolo. What is the name of the fifth daughter?
- Lulu
- Lola
- Emily (Correct answer)
- There is not enough information
Correct answer: Emily
This question is a semantic illusion designed to create a strong intuitive pattern (La, Le, Li, Lo, Lu). However, the answer is explicitly stated in the first part of the sentence: 'Emily's father...'. Overriding the impulse to complete the pattern reveals the answer that was present from the beginning.
Question 4: Successfully answering a Cognitive Reflection Test question correctly requires the test-taker to engage in what specific cognitive action?
- Inhibiting the prepotent (intuitive) response (Correct answer)
- Reinforcing the initial gut feeling
- Accelerating heuristic-based decision-making
- Priming an emotional response
Correct answer: Inhibiting the prepotent (intuitive) response
The core of the Cognitive Reflection Test is to measure an individual's ability to recognize that their first, intuitive answer is likely incorrect and to suppress, or inhibit, that response. This inhibition allows for more effortful, reflective (System 2) thinking to take over and find the correct solution.
Question 5: A man has two coins that total 35 cents. One of the coins is NOT a quarter. What are the two coins?
- Three dimes and a nickel
- A 30-cent piece and a nickel
- It's impossible to solve
- A dime and a quarter (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A dime and a quarter
This is a logic problem that uses tricky phrasing. The statement 'One of the coins is NOT a quarter' is designed to make you assume NEITHER coin is a quarter. However, the statement is true if one coin is a dime (which is not a quarter) and the other coin is a quarter. A dime (10 cents) and a quarter (25 cents) total 35 cents.
Question 6: A manager is reviewing a proposal that seems exceptionally good and feels an immediate, positive gut reaction. To avoid a potential intuitive error, which of the following is the most effective immediate strategy?
- Trust the initial positive feeling as it is based on experience.
- Deliberately slow down and try to re-frame the problem from a different perspective. (Correct answer)
- Immediately seek consensus from the team to validate the gut reaction.
- Make a decision quickly to maintain momentum.
Correct answer: Deliberately slow down and try to re-frame the problem from a different perspective.
The primary strategy for overriding an intuitive error (System 1 thinking) is to engage deliberate, analytical thinking (System 2). This is achieved by consciously slowing down the decision-making process, questioning initial assumptions, and actively looking for alternative viewpoints or disconfirming evidence.
Cognitive Reflection Overriding Intuitive Errors Questions and Answers 1
A magazine and a banana together cost $3.30.
The magazine costs $3.00 more than the banana.
How much does the banana cost?