Pymetrics Games Planning and Strategy Games 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the Pymetrics Tower of London task, you must move colored balls to match a target configuration. What cognitive skill is PRIMARILY being measured?
- Reaction speed
- Sequential planning and problem-solving (Correct answer)
- Pattern memorization
- Color discrimination
Correct 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.
Question 2: 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?
- Put all $100 in the safe investment
- Put all $100 in the risky investment (Correct answer)
- Split 50/50 between both
- Put $75 in risky, $25 in safe
Correct 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.
Question 3: 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?
- 3 hours
- 5 hours (Correct answer)
- 8 hours
- It depends on which task starts first
Correct 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.
Question 4: In Pymetrics games that test strategic foresight, you observe an opponent repeatedly choosing option A over B. The BEST adaptive response is to:
- Always choose the opposite of what the opponent chooses
- Ignore the opponent's pattern and stick to your original strategy
- Update your model of the opponent and exploit their predictability (Correct answer)
- Randomly vary your choices to confuse the opponent
Correct 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.
Question 5: 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?
- Route A
- Route B (Correct answer)
- They take the same time
- Cannot be determined without more data
Correct 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.
Question 6: 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?
- Cautious risk management
- Preference for fairness over outcomes
- Failure to identify or respond to suboptimal choices (Correct answer)
- Collaborative tendencies
Correct 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.
Question 7: In the Pymetrics Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), what BEST describes the optimal long-run pumping strategy?
- Always pump to the maximum number of times
- Stop pumping after exactly one pump per balloon
- Pump until you approach but don't exceed the average burst point (Correct answer)
- Never pump — always collect the minimum reward
Correct 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.
Pymetrics Games Planning and Strategy Games 2
In the Pymetrics Tower of London task, you must move colored balls to match a target configuration.
What cognitive skill is PRIMARILY being measured?