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I think I am missing something here. People are told the initial price and a few minutes later the sale price and are asked to _estimate_ the savings as a perce

by z8000 17y ago

I think I am missing something here. People are told the initial price and a few minutes later the sale price and are asked to _estimate_ the savings as a percentage of the original? Are we this horribly bad at basic fourth grade math?

olegk 17y ago
How would you do this correctly without a calculator? You basically need to do a calculation like this in your head: 100*(3 - 2.33)/3 ≈ 22.33%
- z8000 17y ago
  Such a calculation _should be_ something anyone on Earth over the age of 6 (OK I said 4th grade so 8-9) should be able to handle in their head without being handheld by a handheld [calculator].
  - cdr 17y ago
    Gee, you're really realistic. When I went out to dinner with my parents, none of the ten people over age 30 could calculate a 20% tip - much less the other way around. Most people just do not do math outside the presence of a calculator, so those skills fade.
    - z8000 17y ago
      Yes, and that is an example of what I find to be sad. Also, I did try to emphasize "_should be_" in my comment. It is not realistic, it is what I personally consider to be "better" (basic math skills over reliance on a calculator). Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself but it seems like a slippery slope to rely on a calculator for (subjectively) simple calculations. It leads to a "oh, someone else will figure this out for me" mentality.
    - NathanKP 17y ago
      A quick tip on how to calculate tips: Finding 10% of an amount is easy. All you have to do is move the decimal point over one position to the left. For example if you had an $80 dinner, then 10% of that is $8. Just double that amount to find the 20% tip, in this case $16. I think that with a little thought most people should be able to figure out these tricks, but you are right, most people don't bother and their skills fade.
obfuscate 17y ago
In many experiments like this, people are asked to give an estimate immediately and without mentally calculating.

by z8000 17y ago

olegk 17y ago

How would you do this correctly without a calculator? You basically need to do a calculation like this in your head: 100*(3 - 2.33)/3 ≈ 22.33%

z8000 17y ago
Such a calculation _should be_ something anyone on Earth over the age of 6 (OK I said 4th grade so 8-9) should be able to handle in their head without being handheld by a handheld [calculator].
- cdr 17y ago
  Gee, you're really realistic. When I went out to dinner with my parents, none of the ten people over age 30 could calculate a 20% tip - much less the other way around. Most people just do not do math outside the presence of a calculator, so those skills fade.
  - z8000 17y ago
    Yes, and that is an example of what I find to be sad. Also, I did try to emphasize "_should be_" in my comment. It is not realistic, it is what I personally consider to be "better" (basic math skills over reliance on a calculator). Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself but it seems like a slippery slope to rely on a calculator for (subjectively) simple calculations. It leads to a "oh, someone else will figure this out for me" mentality.
  - NathanKP 17y ago
    A quick tip on how to calculate tips: Finding 10% of an amount is easy. All you have to do is move the decimal point over one position to the left. For example if you had an $80 dinner, then 10% of that is $8. Just double that amount to find the 20% tip, in this case $16. I think that with a little thought most people should be able to figure out these tricks, but you are right, most people don't bother and their skills fade.

obfuscate 17y ago

In many experiments like this, people are asked to give an estimate immediately and without mentally calculating.