Wason selection task

a reasoning task involving four cards, each with a letter on one side and a number on the other, and a rule supposedly governing their correlation (e.g., if the letter is a vowel, then the number is even). One side of each card is shown (e.g., the cards might show E D 3 8), and the solver is asked which cards must be turned over to determine if the rule has been followed. Most participants demonstrate a confirmation bias, failing to check those instances in which the rule could have been breached (e.g., by turning over E and 3). Also called four-card problem. [developed in 1966 by Peter Cathcart Wason (1924–2003), British psychologist]

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Psychology term of the day

March 14th 2025

job evaluation

analysis and comparison of jobs for the purpose of determining the pay structure within an organization. Methods used in job evaluation include (a) ranking jobs on the basis of a subjective estimation of their relative overall value to the company (see ranking method); (b) assigning jobs to certain predefined classifications on the basis of job description (see classification method); (c) comparing jobs to certain identified benchmark jobs in terms of the compensable job factors entailed; (d) assigning point values to jobs according to a series of defined criteria such as education, experience, and the initiative or effort needed (see point method); and (e) ranking jobs according to a statistical analysis of job content, as revealed by employees’ answers to a standard questionnaire (see job-component method).