一個關於選擇公理的實驗

Abstract

本研究使用線上實驗來檢測決策公理的複雜度是否會影響受試者遵循公理的能力。 我們將受試者隨機分配進不同的組別，分別學習數個表述方式不同但是數學上等價的決策公理。在接下來的兩個實驗階段，受試者需要根據他們學到的公理回答一些問題。 在這些問題中，我們調整兩個集合的元素以及從集合中被選出的元素。 第一個測驗中，受試者必須回答問題中提供的情況是否有遵循他們學習到的公理。 第二個測驗中，他們需要修改其中一個集合中被選出的元素以使情況符合公理。 我們記錄了他們的答題時間與答題正確率，並發現直觀上更簡單的公理對受試者來說更容易遵循。學習該公理的受試者有更高的正確率且能以更短的時間來回答這些問題。 然而，影響公理複雜度的因素仍待進一步澄清。

This research uses an online experiment to determine whether the complexity of a decision axiom will affect subjects’ ability to follow the axiom. We assign different groups of subjects to learn different axioms that are mathematically equal in the decision theory. In the following two sections, subjects are asked to answer several questions based on their learned axioms. In those questions, we modify the elements of two sets and the elements that are chosen from the sets. First, subjects have to determine whether the situation provided in the question follows the axiom. Then, they are asked to modify the situation to match the axiom. In the meantime, their answering time and correct rate were recorded by us. We find that intuitively simpler axioms are easier to follow, meaning subjects in those treatment groups have a higher correct rate and spend less time answering those questions. However, what affects the complexity of axioms still needs more clarification.