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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT06762366

Substitution Heuristic on Proportional Tasks

The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether or not adults use a substitution heuristic when reasoning about proportions. The main question it aims to answer is:

Do adults use a substitution heuristic when judging non-symbolic proportions, leading them to answer an easier, yet incorrect question?

Researchers will compare performance at baseline with one of two conditions in order to see if forced behavioral changes can change performance on the task.

Participants will be asked to compare two images and judge which has the higher proportion of the target color. Each participant will also be assigned to one of two condition where they either receive a further incentive for correct selections or are required to use more time when making their calculations.

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Key information

Conditions

Proportional Reasoning Substitution Heuristic

Age range

18 year–64 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science

Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Typically developing people within the target age range

Exclusion criteria

  • Individuals with known developmental or cognitive disorders
  • Participants must speak/read sufficient English to read and complete the informed consent document

Treatment and study plan

Additional Incentive

Behavioral

During this behavioral intervention, participants will be given additional compensation for correct answers.

Response Delay

Behavioral

During this behavioral intervention, participants will not be allowed to respond with their judgements until after a certain amount of time has passed.

Baseline Performance

Behavioral

In this intervention, the participant completes the task as it is typically administer for a baseline performance measure. The participant can respond at will and does not receive incentive for correct responses.

Primary outcomes

  1. Proportion Correct

    Time frame: up to 20 minutes

    Accuracy will be measured for each trial and combined into an overall score (i.e., proportion of trials correct).

  2. Reaction Time

    Time frame: up to 20 minutes

    Reaction time will also be tracked (i.e., time it takes to respond), with a faster reaction time indicating ease and/or efficiency with the task.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Michelle Hurst, PhD

Other

Collaborators

  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
  • Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Registry information

Official study title

Substitution in Adult Proportional Reasoning

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jan 7, 2025
Registry last updated
Jun 5, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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