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| Research article summary (published 30 Aug 2002): |
What very small numbers mean.
Full Abstract
This article presents a theoretical and experimental framework for assessing the biases associated with the interpretation of numbers. This framework consists of having participants convert between different representations of quantities. These representations should include both variations in numerical labels that symbolize quantities and variations in displays in which quantity is inherent. Five experiments assessed how people convert between relative frequencies, decimals, and displays of dots that denote very low proportions (i.e., proportions below 1%). The participants demonstrated perceptual, response, and numerical transformation biases. Furthermore, the data suggest that relative frequencies and decimals are associated with different abstract representations of amount.
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Author information
Author/s: Cohen, Dale J (DJ); Ferrell, Jennifer M (JM); Johnson, Nathan (N);
Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 28403-3297, USA. cohend(-atsign-)uncwil.edu
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Journal: Journal of experimental psychology. General (J Exp Psychol Gen), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2002-Sep; vol 131 (issue 3) : pp 424-42
Dates: Created 2002/09/06; Completed 2003/01/21; Revised 2006/11/15;
PMID: 12214756, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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