Pymetrics Games Cognitive Flexibility and Adaptability 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the Pymetrics Cards game, what primarily changes that demands cognitive flexibility from the player?
- The speed at which cards are presented
- The sorting rules and reward contingencies (Correct answer)
- The number of cards dealt per round
- The visual color scheme of the cards
Correct answer: The sorting rules and reward contingencies
The Cards game shifts which choices are rewarded without warning, requiring players to detect the change and abandon previously successful strategies.
Question 2: A Pymetrics candidate who repeatedly applies outdated strategies after the reward rules have changed is demonstrating:
- High creativity
- Strong persistence
- Cognitive rigidity (Correct answer)
- Superior long-term memory
Correct answer: Cognitive rigidity
Cognitive rigidity is the failure to update behavior in response to changed feedback, which is the opposite of the flexibility Pymetrics measures.
Question 3: What is 'proactive interference' in the context of Pymetrics cognitive flexibility games?
- When previously learned rules hinder adaptation to new rules (Correct answer)
- When upcoming tasks are previewed before they begin
- When outside distractions affect in-game performance
- When system lag causes delayed response registration
Correct answer: When previously learned rules hinder adaptation to new rules
Proactive interference occurs when earlier learning actively competes with and slows down the adoption of new rules or strategies.
Question 4: Pymetrics games that involve reversal learning test your ability to:
- Recall patterns memorized early in the game
- Unlearn a previously rewarded behavior and adopt an opposite one (Correct answer)
- Play game sequences in reverse chronological order
- Mirror the sequence of actions from a prior round
Correct answer: Unlearn a previously rewarded behavior and adopt an opposite one
Reversal learning requires suppressing a well-practiced rewarded response and replacing it with its opposite when contingencies flip, directly testing cognitive flexibility.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'set shifting' as measured through Pymetrics games?
- Adjusting the visual difficulty settings of the game
- Moving from one cognitive rule or mental framework to another (Correct answer)
- Shifting physical posture for comfort during the assessment
- Changing the game's language settings mid-session
Correct answer: Moving from one cognitive rule or mental framework to another
Set shifting is the executive function of disengaging from one cognitive 'set' (rule or strategy) and engaging a new one, a core skill measured by Pymetrics.
Question 6: In Pymetrics assessments, consistent errors immediately following a rule change most likely indicate:
- Random guessing behavior
- Difficulty suppressing habitual responses (Correct answer)
- Lack of motivation to perform well
- Poor basic reaction time
Correct answer: Difficulty suppressing habitual responses
A cluster of errors right after a rule change reflects the habitual pull of the old strategy, showing the brain's difficulty in overriding well-practiced responses.
Question 7: How does Pymetrics distinguish high cognitive flexibility from low cognitive flexibility across multiple games in a session?
- By measuring total number of clicks per game
- By tracking how quickly and accurately performance recovers after rule changes (Correct answer)
- By counting only final scores on the last game played
- By comparing scores against a fixed national average
Correct answer: By tracking how quickly and accurately performance recovers after rule changes
Pymetrics algorithms track recovery speed and accuracy after shifts in game rules to differentiate candidates who adapt quickly from those who remain stuck on old strategies.
Pymetrics Games Cognitive Flexibility and Adaptability 2
In the Pymetrics Cards game, what primarily changes that demands cognitive flexibility from the player?