Planning and Strategy Games Flashcards

In the Pymetrics Tower of London task, you must move colored balls to match a target configuration. What cognitive skill is PRIMARILY being measured?

Answer: Sequential planning and problem-solving

The Tower of London measures sequential planning by requiring you to think multiple moves ahead to reach the target state efficiently.

During a Pymetrics resource allocation game, you have $100 to distribute between a safe 2% return investment and a risky investment with a 50% chance of 20% return or 0%. Which strategy maximizes EXPECTED value?

Answer: Put all $100 in the risky investment

The risky investment has an expected return of 10% (0.5×20% + 0.5×0%), which exceeds the 2% guaranteed return, so fully allocating to it maximizes expected value.

In a Pymetrics planning game where you schedule tasks with dependencies, Task C cannot start until Task A and Task B both finish. Task A takes 3 hours, Task B takes 5 hours. What is the earliest Task C can start?

Answer: 5 hours

Task C depends on BOTH A and B finishing, so it must wait for the longer task, which is Task B at 5 hours.

In Pymetrics games that test strategic foresight, you observe an opponent repeatedly choosing option A over B. The BEST adaptive response is to:

Answer: Update your model of the opponent and exploit their predictability

Updating your mental model based on observed patterns and exploiting predictability is the hallmark of adaptive strategic thinking.

A Pymetrics scenario presents you with a map and multiple routes to a destination. Route A is 10 miles but has traffic; Route B is 14 miles with no traffic. If traffic doubles travel time, which route is faster if the base speed is 30 mph?

Answer: Route B

Route A takes 10/15 = 40 min at halved speed (15 mph); Route B takes 14/30 = 28 min, making Route B faster.

In a Pymetrics multi-round strategy game, what does consistently choosing a dominated strategy (one that is always worse than another available option) signal to assessors?

Answer: Failure to identify or respond to suboptimal choices

Repeatedly playing a dominated strategy suggests the test-taker is not analyzing outcomes comparatively, which indicates weaker strategic reasoning.

In the Pymetrics Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), what BEST describes the optimal long-run pumping strategy?

Answer: Pump until you approach but don't exceed the average burst point

The BART rewards calibrated risk-taking; optimal performance involves inflating balloons close to the average burst threshold to maximize cumulative earnings.