Pymetrics Games Planning and Strategy Games 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a Pymetrics multi-stage planning game, you must cross a river with a fox, a chicken, and a bag of grain using a boat that holds only one item at a time. You cannot leave the fox alone with the chicken or the chicken alone with the grain. What is the MINIMUM number of trips needed?
- 5
- 7 (Correct answer)
- 9
- 11
Correct answer: 7
The classic river-crossing puzzle requires 7 one-way trips: take chicken across, return, take fox across, bring chicken back, take grain across, return, take chicken across.
Question 2: In a Pymetrics attention-and-strategy game, you notice your score improves when you slow down slightly. What does this suggest about optimal performance?
- Speed is never rewarded in Pymetrics games
- Accuracy-speed tradeoffs exist and calibrating for the task matters (Correct answer)
- You should always choose the slowest possible response
- The game is penalizing fast responses to train patience
Correct answer: Accuracy-speed tradeoffs exist and calibrating for the task matters
Many Pymetrics tasks reward accuracy over raw speed; finding the right accuracy-speed balance is itself a planning and self-monitoring skill.
Question 3: A Pymetrics planning game asks you to allocate 3 workers to 4 tasks over 2 days, with each worker handling one task per day. Task D must be done on Day 2. What is the MAXIMUM number of tasks completable?
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 6
3 workers × 2 days = 6 task-slots; with Task D constrained to Day 2, you can fill all 6 slots if you assign 3 tasks on Day 1 and 3 tasks (including D) on Day 2.
Question 4: In Pymetrics games modeled on investment planning, you receive $100 to invest across three rounds. Losing all your money ends the game. Which strategy best balances growth and survival?
- Bet everything each round for maximum upside
- Bet a fixed small percentage each round to protect capital (Correct answer)
- Bet nothing every round to guarantee survival
- Double your bet after each loss to recover faster
Correct answer: Bet a fixed small percentage each round to protect capital
Betting a fixed small percentage (Kelly-style fractional betting) grows capital geometrically while preventing total ruin from a single bad outcome.
Question 5: In a Pymetrics negotiation planning game, you have a BATNA (Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement) of $500. The other party offers you $480. You should:
- Accept immediately since $480 is close to your BATNA
- Reject the offer and walk away, since it is below your BATNA (Correct answer)
- Counter with exactly $500 and accept nothing less
- Offer to split the difference at $490
Correct answer: Reject the offer and walk away, since it is below your BATNA
Your BATNA is your walk-away point; accepting any offer below it means you are worse off than pursuing your alternative.
Question 6: In a Pymetrics probability-planning game, you draw cards without replacement from a 10-card deck (5 red, 5 blue). After drawing 4 red cards, what is the probability the next card is red?
- 50%
- 10% (Correct answer)
- 1 in 6 (≈16.7%)
- 40%
Correct answer: 10%
After removing 4 red cards, 1 red and 5 blue remain (6 total); the probability of drawing red is 1/6 ≈ 16.7%.
Question 7: Pymetrics' planning games often include 'sunk cost' scenarios. You've spent 3 hours on a failing strategy. The RATIONAL planning choice is to:
- Continue because you've already invested so much time
- Abandon the strategy if a better alternative exists, regardless of time spent (Correct answer)
- Seek a hybrid that partially uses your original plan
- Wait one more round before deciding to switch
Correct answer: Abandon the strategy if a better alternative exists, regardless of time spent
Sunk costs are irrelevant to future decisions; rational planning focuses only on expected future outcomes from each available option.
Pymetrics Games Planning and Strategy Games 4
In a Pymetrics multi-stage planning game, you must cross a river with a fox, a chicken, and a bag of grain using a boat that holds only one item at a time.
You cannot leave the fox alone with the chicken or the chicken alone with the grain.
What is the MINIMUM number of trips needed?