Pymetrics Games Planning and Strategy Games 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a Pymetrics digits game where you must remember and reproduce a sequence, you see: 7, 2, 9, 4, 1. You then must recall it in REVERSE order. What is the correct reverse sequence?
- 7, 2, 9, 4, 1
- 1, 4, 9, 2, 7 (Correct answer)
- 1, 9, 4, 2, 7
- 4, 9, 2, 7, 1
Correct answer: 1, 4, 9, 2, 7
Reversing 7, 2, 9, 4, 1 gives 1, 4, 9, 2, 7.
Question 2: In a Pymetrics planning game, you can take either 1 or 2 tokens from a pile of 9 tokens per turn, alternating with an opponent. The player who takes the LAST token wins. What is the winning first move?
- Take 1 token (leaving 8) (Correct answer)
- Take 2 tokens (leaving 7)
- Either move is equally good
- The second player always wins
Correct answer: Take 1 token (leaving 8)
Leaving a multiple of 3 for your opponent is the winning strategy; taking 1 leaves 8, and you can always maintain control by mirroring to keep the remaining count at a multiple of 3.
Question 3: A Pymetrics task requires you to prioritize 5 tasks by urgency and importance. Task E is urgent but not important. According to the Eisenhower Matrix principle embedded in such games, Task E should be:
- Done immediately by you
- Scheduled for later
- Delegated to someone else (Correct answer)
- Eliminated entirely
Correct answer: Delegated to someone else
The Eisenhower Matrix places urgent-but-not-important tasks in the 'delegate' quadrant, as they need quick action but don't require your direct attention.
Question 4: In Pymetrics' equity allocation games, you split a bonus with a coworker. You propose $70 for yourself and $30 for them. They can accept or reject; rejection means neither gets anything. They REJECT. What does this reveal about decision-making?
- The coworker is irrational, since $30 is better than nothing
- People value fairness and may sacrifice gains to punish perceived unfairness (Correct answer)
- The offer was mathematically incorrect
- The coworker misunderstood the game rules
Correct answer: People value fairness and may sacrifice gains to punish perceived unfairness
This is the Ultimatum Game; research shows people regularly reject low offers to enforce fairness norms, even at personal cost.
Question 5: In a Pymetrics scenario where you must plan project milestones, which scheduling approach MINIMIZES the risk of a late final delivery?
- Schedule all tasks to start as late as possible (latest-start scheduling)
- Build in buffer time before every critical-path milestone (Correct answer)
- Run all tasks simultaneously regardless of dependencies
- Assign every task equal time regardless of complexity
Correct answer: Build in buffer time before every critical-path milestone
Adding buffer time before critical-path milestones absorbs unexpected delays and protects the final delivery date.
Question 6: In a Pymetrics card-sorting planning game, you discover a rule mid-task that reduces moves by 40%. The BEST response is to:
- Continue with your original approach to avoid confusion
- Immediately apply the new rule for all remaining cards (Correct answer)
- Test the rule on one card before fully committing
- Ignore the rule since you are already mid-task
Correct answer: Immediately apply the new rule for all remaining cards
Immediately adopting a confirmed efficiency gain maximizes performance; delaying adaptation when a better strategy is known is suboptimal.
Question 7: Pymetrics games sometimes measure 'cognitive flexibility.' Which behavior BEST demonstrates this trait during a planning task?
- Sticking to the first plan you create regardless of new information
- Switching strategies randomly every few moves
- Adjusting your approach when early indicators show the current plan is failing (Correct answer)
- Always choosing the most complex available option
Correct answer: Adjusting your approach when early indicators show the current plan is failing
Cognitive flexibility is the ability to shift strategies in response to feedback, not random switching or rigid adherence to an initial plan.
Pymetrics Games Planning and Strategy Games 3
During a Pymetrics digits game where you must remember and reproduce a sequence, you see: 7, 2, 9, 4, 1.
You then must recall it in REVERSE order.
What is the correct reverse sequence?