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Social Loafing X Anchor Heuristics Online Study, Fall 2022

Research Study - Florida International University, Fall 2022 Informed Consent Form

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to investigate how participants solve math problems and their attitudes about a math task.

NUMBER OF STUDY PARTICIPANTS

If you decide to take part in this study, you will be one of about 200 participants.

DURATION OF THE STUDY

Your participation should take less than 15 minutes.

PROCEDURES

If you agree to be in the study, we will ask you to do the following: 1. Complete a few math problems 2. Assess your feelings about the math problems 3. Provide your demographic information (optional)

RISKS

The study has the following possible risks: Minor but temporary discomfort with personal questions regarding how you feel about solving math problems.

BENEFITS

The study has the following possible benefits: Your participation in the study will provide useful data about how participants solve problems. We also hope that our findings will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of Psychology. Do you consent to participate in this research project? (Select One)

Yes

No (Selecting "No" will end your survey)

Part One – Instructions (Group Average and High Anchor Condition)

We want to see how many math problems you can complete correctly! But this is also a competition among the student researchers, including the researcher who recruited you. At the end of the study, we will compare the scores of participants to see who completed the most math problems. The student researcher associated with the best performance* will receive class bonus points that are unavailable to other students (we will use a random drawing to determine the winner if there is a tie). So, please complete as many math problems as you can to help the student who recruited you win**

*Note #1: We will determine the “best performance” by looking at the average number of math problems that you and four other participants complete. That is, the researcher who recruited you is also recruiting four other participants. We will combine your math score with the scores provided by the other four participants and divide by five (thus finding an average score across all five participants). We will award the bonus points to the student researcher who recruited the participants with the highest group average math score. **Note #2: The math problems are multiplication-based. Although you are free to use a calculator, that is optional. There is no minimum or maximum number of math problems that we expect you to complete, so use your best judgment and stop when you feel you have completed as many math problems as you want. We recruited participants for a pilot study and found that the average number of math problems that participants solved was 40 math problems.

I am ready to begin the Math Task (Select One)

Yes

Part One – Instructions (Group Average and Low Anchor)

I am ready to begin the math task

Yes

Part One – Instructions (Individual Total and High Anchor)

*Note #1: We will determine the “best performance” by looking at the total number of math problems that you and other participants complete. We will award the bonus points to the student researcher who recruited the participant with the highest individual math score. **Note #2: The math problems are multiplication-based. Although you are free to use a calculator, that is optional. There is no minimum or maximum number of math problems that we expect you to complete, so use your best judgment and stop when you feel you have completed as many math problems as you want. We recruited participants for a pilot study and found that the average number of math problems that participants solved was 40 math problems.

I am ready to begin the Math Task (Select One)

Yes

Part One – Instructions (Individual Total and Low Anchor)

I am ready to begin the Math Task (Select One)

Yes

Part Two – Math Task (All Conditions)

The math problems below are relatively simple. We want you to square as many numbers as you want in numerical sequence. That is, multiply each number by itself. For example, 1 X 1 = 1 and 2 X 2 = 4, and 3 X 3 = 9, etc. Important: You can stop at any time and move to the next page, but please do not skip any cells in the numerical sequence.

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Unlimited IT&L Unlimited Textbox (Optional): In the box below, continue with 43 X 43 and complete as many additional problems as you want. Simply type in the problem (like 43 X 43) and answer followed by the next number (44 X 44) and answer. Continue with 45 X 45 etc. until you wish to stop.

________________________________________________________________

Part Three – Thoughts About Your Performance (All Conditions)

Please provide your thoughts about your performance by rating each of the six statements below.

	Strongly disagree (1)	Disagree (2)	Somewhat disagree (3)	Neither agree nor disagree (4)	Somewhat agree (5)	Agree (6)	Strongly agree (7)
1. I believe that I completed more math problems than the average participant.
2. I believe that I could have completed more math problems than I did.
3. I feel like my performance will be individually examined by the researchers
4. I feel like the goal of the study (to help get bonus points for the student researcher who recruited me) is important.
5. I found solving math problems in this experiment enjoyable. (Q5 (Enjoyable))
6. I believe that participants may “slack off” or “take a free ride” if they know that other participants are contributing to the average score.

Part Four – Demographic Information

Please provide the following demographic information. Note: You can leave blank any questions you feel uncomfortable answering.

Gender What is your gender? (Select One)

Male (1)

Female (2)

Non-binary (3)

Prefer not to disclose (4)

What is your age? (Please use numbers, like 22)

________________________________________________________________

What is your race/ethnicity? (Select One)

White (1)

Latino/a (2)

Indigenous (3)

Black (4)

Asian (5)

Middle East and North Africa (6)

Others--Please specify below (7)

__________________________________________________

Is English your first language? (Select One)

Yes (1)

No (2)

If no, specify your first language below (3)

__________________________________________________

Are you a student at Florida International University? (Select One)

Yes (1)

No (2)

What is your relationship status? (Select One)

Single/No relationship (1)

In a relationship (2)

Have you taken any college level math classes?

Yes (1)

No (2)

Math Major If you have taken college level math classes, did you either major or minor in a mathematical field? (Select the option that best fits your experience)

Yes, I majored in a mathematical field (1)

Yes, I minored in a mathematical field (2)

No. While I have taken college level math classes, I neither majored nor minored in a mathematical field (3)

No, I have not taken any college level math classes (4)

Part Five – Study Recall Measures

Recall the instruction note we gave you about how we will determine the “Best Performance” before you solved the math problems. What did we tell you was the basis for assessing the “Best Performance”? (Select One)

1. We said the "Best Performance" would be based on the highest individual math score (1)

2. We said the "Best Performance" would be based on the highest group average math score (2)

Recall the instruction note we gave you about our pilot study participants. How many math problems did we say our prior participants solved on average? (Select One)

1. We said pilot participants completed 20 math problems on average (1)

2. We said pilot participants completed 40 math problems on average (2)

Part Six – Debriefing Statement

Thank you for participating in our experiment! We appreciate the time you took to complete this survey and for helping us test our hypothesis. This study investigates social loafing phenomenon, or “the tendency for people to exert less effort when they pool their efforts toward a common goal than when they are individually accountable”. Specifically, we want to see if participants are more likely to engage in social loafing when they think that their effort at a math problem solving task is being individually assessed compared to grouped with other participants. Our study also looks at anchoring heuristics, seeing if participants have social loafing or they admit they have if we set a high vs. low anchor.

More specifically, our experiment examined two variables related to social loafing. To manipulate it, we told participants that we want them to solve math problems, and that one of our goals is to see who could solve the most math problems. While all participants completed the same math problems, we told them one of two things:

1) That their score alone will determine the “winner”

2) That their score will be pooled with four other participants for a final average score that would determine the “winner”

According to social loafing principles, participants in the average score conditions should complete fewer problems than participants in the individual score condition. However, all participants should report that they worked hard at the task (that they did not loaf).

Our second variable looked at the concept of anchoring heuristics. Prior research shows that when people were given an anchor, they tend to adjust their beliefs and behaviors around that anchor. We want to see how setting an "anchor" for the number of math problems prior participants solved impacts the social loafing effect. Thus, we told some of you that our pilot study participants solved a high number of math problems (40 problems - high anchor). We told remaining participants that pilot study participants solved a low number of math problems (20 problems - low anchor). Please note that we did make up these "prior participant" anchors of 20 or 40 math problems and randomly assigned participants to either the high anchor or low anchor conditions.

Our hypotheses are as follows:

First, we predict that participants in individual condition will solve more math problems than those in group average condition. That is, participants will "socially loaf" more when in a group than when alone.

Second, we predict that participants in high anchor condition will solve more math problems than those in low anchor condition. Here, participants will solve problems in line with the anchor they saw. If they saw a high anchor (40 math problems), they will solve around that same high number of math problems themselves. If they law a low anchor (20 math problems), they will also solve around that lower number of math problems.

Finally, we predict an interaction between two variables, with participants in the individual and high anchor condition solving the most problems and those in the group average and low anchor condition solving the fewest math problems. However, we think that all participants will report that they worked hard at the task (and that they did not loaf).

If you have any questions about the purpose, procedures, or any other issues relating to this research study you may contact Dr. Ryan Winter at [email protected]. If you would like to talk with someone about your rights of being a subject in this research study or about ethical issues with this research study, you may contact the FIU Office of Research Integrity by phone at 305-348-2494 or by email at [email protected]. Thank you again for your participation in our experiment!

Please provide the full name of the student who referred you this survey so that we can grant them credit. Provide their LAST name and then FIRST name separated by a comma. For example, if you completed this for Alex Johnson, then write JOHNSON, ALEX. Please spell their name correctly, as they will not get credit for their assignment otherwise.

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