Operating under time pressure can cause people to make errors and be more prone to defaulting to automatic systems, in this case System 1 thinking (S1, intuitive and fast) thinking. In situations with time pressures, it is common to display a timer or clock to be aware of how much time has passed, but might this timer itself also influence how people make decisions? 

The present study explores the relationship between time pressure, timer presence, and resulting S1 defaulting tendencies through a 2x2 factorial design. Participants completed a modified cognitive reflection task with or without a timer present, and with or without time pressure. The group with both time pressure and a timer present had the lowest average cognitive reflection score of all conditions, providing evidence that operating in conditions with both time pressure and a timer might lead to increased impulsive decision-making.

A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. 

How much does the ball cost? 

Have you heard this question before?

In this research, I introduce the Evaluation of Cognitive Reflection (ECR), a new tool I developed to measure cognitive reflection. The ECR addresses issues found in existing tests like the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) and CRT-2, such as:

• Participant pool contamination: The CRT is widely known and cited, making it less effective.

• Numeracy: Both CRT and CRT-2 rely on math skills, which can skew results.

The ECR also includes questions with intuitive but incorrect answers and non-intuitive but correct answers, but without relying on math skills. It also uses decoy questions to hide the pattern of "trick" questions. 

Initial pilot testing showed the ECR to have higher internal reliability than CRT-2, be quick to complete and score (under 5 minutes), and show no significant gender or age performance differences. I believe the ECR has potential to be a more valid and equitable tool for measuring cognitive reflection.