Bounded Rationality in Study Time Allocation: Evidence Based on Risky Choice Framing Effects

When allocating study time for the English sections of the National College Entrance Examination or the Postgraduate Entrance Examination, learners often encounter value-test likelihood trade-offs, where questions of similar difficulty may have different points and different likelihoods of being tes...

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Main Authors: Hui Xu, Yuanxia Gao, Qian Xiao, Nan Li, Yue Chu, Xiuya Li, Weihai Tang, Xiping Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Behavioral Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/11/1091
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author Hui Xu
Yuanxia Gao
Qian Xiao
Nan Li
Yue Chu
Xiuya Li
Weihai Tang
Xiping Liu
author_facet Hui Xu
Yuanxia Gao
Qian Xiao
Nan Li
Yue Chu
Xiuya Li
Weihai Tang
Xiping Liu
author_sort Hui Xu
collection DOAJ
description When allocating study time for the English sections of the National College Entrance Examination or the Postgraduate Entrance Examination, learners often encounter value-test likelihood trade-offs, where questions of similar difficulty may have different points and different likelihoods of being tested. This research explored how individuals allocated study time and whether this process exhibited bounded rationality by examining the risky choice framing effects in study time allocation. The research set up two types of items: 1-point items with a 90% likelihood and 9-point items with a 10% likelihood. Each type of item had the same test likelihood but was expressed in different framings. For the 90% likelihood items, the test framing emphasized that they had a 90% likelihood of being tested. Meanwhile, the non-test framing emphasized that they had a 10% likelihood of not being tested. A total of 41 college students participated in the study, and they were allowed to self-regulate their study time for each type of item. The results showed that learners’ study time allocation differed under the two equivalent framings. This indicates that the process of study time allocation is not completely rational, but is rather boundedly rational, which is inconsistent with the expected utility theory.
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issn 2076-328X
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publishDate 2024-11-01
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series Behavioral Sciences
spelling doaj-art-9583d4db856240618d4bae2b5c1298bd2024-11-26T17:51:39ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2024-11-011411109110.3390/bs14111091Bounded Rationality in Study Time Allocation: Evidence Based on Risky Choice Framing EffectsHui Xu0Yuanxia Gao1Qian Xiao2Nan Li3Yue Chu4Xiuya Li5Weihai Tang6Xiping Liu7Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, ChinaFaculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, ChinaFaculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, ChinaFaculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, ChinaFaculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, ChinaFaculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, ChinaFaculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, ChinaFaculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, ChinaWhen allocating study time for the English sections of the National College Entrance Examination or the Postgraduate Entrance Examination, learners often encounter value-test likelihood trade-offs, where questions of similar difficulty may have different points and different likelihoods of being tested. This research explored how individuals allocated study time and whether this process exhibited bounded rationality by examining the risky choice framing effects in study time allocation. The research set up two types of items: 1-point items with a 90% likelihood and 9-point items with a 10% likelihood. Each type of item had the same test likelihood but was expressed in different framings. For the 90% likelihood items, the test framing emphasized that they had a 90% likelihood of being tested. Meanwhile, the non-test framing emphasized that they had a 10% likelihood of not being tested. A total of 41 college students participated in the study, and they were allowed to self-regulate their study time for each type of item. The results showed that learners’ study time allocation differed under the two equivalent framings. This indicates that the process of study time allocation is not completely rational, but is rather boundedly rational, which is inconsistent with the expected utility theory.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/11/1091study time allocationframing effectsitem selectionmetamemorymetacognitionbounded rationality
spellingShingle Hui Xu
Yuanxia Gao
Qian Xiao
Nan Li
Yue Chu
Xiuya Li
Weihai Tang
Xiping Liu
Bounded Rationality in Study Time Allocation: Evidence Based on Risky Choice Framing Effects
Behavioral Sciences
study time allocation
framing effects
item selection
metamemory
metacognition
bounded rationality
title Bounded Rationality in Study Time Allocation: Evidence Based on Risky Choice Framing Effects
title_full Bounded Rationality in Study Time Allocation: Evidence Based on Risky Choice Framing Effects
title_fullStr Bounded Rationality in Study Time Allocation: Evidence Based on Risky Choice Framing Effects
title_full_unstemmed Bounded Rationality in Study Time Allocation: Evidence Based on Risky Choice Framing Effects
title_short Bounded Rationality in Study Time Allocation: Evidence Based on Risky Choice Framing Effects
title_sort bounded rationality in study time allocation evidence based on risky choice framing effects
topic study time allocation
framing effects
item selection
metamemory
metacognition
bounded rationality
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/11/1091
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