TY - JOUR
T1 - Not That Bad After All
T2 - Generation of Random Sequences
AU - Kareev, Yaakov
PY - 1992/11
Y1 - 1992/11
N2 - People simulating a random generator fail in the rate of each event, which is too close to the theoretical rate, and in overalternation between events. It is suggested that both failures stem from attempts to produce within short-term memory (STM) limitations a typical sequence in the standard task. 398 Ss of 3 age groups performed 3 coin-tossing tasks: standard, guessing, and guessing with feedback. The proportion of events was more variable and alternation rate was higher in the guessing than in the standard task. High alternation rates are shown to be by-products of typical sequences. An estimate of the window size within which people operate highly correlated with age (corresponding to changes in STM capacity), further supporting the typicality assumption. People's grasp of randomness is therefore concluded to be better than hitherto believed.
AB - People simulating a random generator fail in the rate of each event, which is too close to the theoretical rate, and in overalternation between events. It is suggested that both failures stem from attempts to produce within short-term memory (STM) limitations a typical sequence in the standard task. 398 Ss of 3 age groups performed 3 coin-tossing tasks: standard, guessing, and guessing with feedback. The proportion of events was more variable and alternation rate was higher in the guessing than in the standard task. High alternation rates are shown to be by-products of typical sequences. An estimate of the window size within which people operate highly correlated with age (corresponding to changes in STM capacity), further supporting the typicality assumption. People's grasp of randomness is therefore concluded to be better than hitherto believed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=21144470839&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0096-1523.18.4.1189
DO - 10.1037/0096-1523.18.4.1189
M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???
AN - SCOPUS:21144470839
SN - 0096-1523
VL - 18
SP - 1189
EP - 1194
JO - Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
JF - Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
IS - 4
ER -