Abstract
We study a sequence of “double-slit” experiments designed to perform repeated measurements of an attribute in a large pool of subjects using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Our findings contrast the prescriptions of decision theory in novel and interesting ways. The response to an identical sequel measurement of the same attribute can be at significant variance with the initial measurement. Furthermore, the response to the sequel measurement depends on whether the initial measurement has taken place. In the absence of the initial measurement, the sequel measurement reveals additional variability, leading to a multimodal frequency distribution which is largely absent if the first measurement has taken place.
Highlights
A cornerstone of axiomatic modeling of human decision-making holds that individuals have a well-defined ranking over possible deterministic or random alternatives [1,2,3]
We study a sequence of “double-slit” experiments designed to perform repeated measurements of an attribute in a large pool of subjects using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk
While the double-slit experiment is often studied in the context of quantum mechanics, we do not take a stance on whether wave-like human behavior results from quantum mechanical processes in the brain
Summary
A cornerstone of axiomatic modeling of human decision-making holds that individuals have a well-defined ranking over possible deterministic or random alternatives [1,2,3]. As an example, this assumption implies that each individual has a full preference ranking among, say, the continuum of colors in the visible spectrum. Recent studies argue that it is plausible that the preference ranking (say, between two colors in the spectrum) emerges as part of the measurement, or elicitation process itself [4]. We perform repeated elicitations of the same attribute and study the final pattern resulting from subjects’ responses conditional on whether previous measurements have occurred
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