Methods of determining probabilities of various outcomes of the game Yahtzee are described. (SD)

The purpose of the study was to determine whether students had knowledge of the extension rule (the conjunction of two or more events cannot be greater than the probability of any one of those events) and understanding of conjunction by giving a test of multiplicative probabilities. Involved were 598 students enrolled in introductory psychology…

Protocols were obtained from 22 subjects as they discovered the conditions under which equilibrium is obtained on a balance beam by predicting and observing the outcomes of a series of problems. The interviews revealed that subjects used a variety of heuristics to make predictions once they had isolated the two relevant features of the problem,…

STATISTICAL DECISION-MAKING THEORY PROVIDES A FRAME OF REFERENCE WITHIN WHICH THE COUNSELOR AND CLIENT CAN CONSIDER A WIDE RANGE OF PROBLEMS OF DECISION MAKING. IN THE FACE OF UNCERTAINTY, A SET OF ACTIONS IS AVAILABLE. PREFERENCE AMONG THESE ACTIONS DEPENDS ON THE TRUE STATE OF NATURE WHICH IS GENERALLY UNKOWN. TO GAIN THIS INFORMATION, AN…

A problem illustrating how physics and mathematics complement one another when analyzing problems of the physical world is described. (JT)

The use of matrix multiplication in the theory of Markov chains is demonstrated without directly discussing any probability theory. The technique that is developed is applied to ratio and mixture problems that are in changing states. (JP)

An analysis is made of overall probabilities of juries making the correct decisions when the juries vary in size from two to beyond five. (DT)

The Lorge-Solomon approach to group problem solving situations and its extensions to trichotomous response situations are examined by use of the maximum likelihood methods. (DG)

Presents a word problem designed to encourage students to create systematic methods for counting and develop probability concepts. Involves sharing eight cookies between three people. (KHR)

Advantages and disadvantages of common ways to justify the answer to a probability problem are discussed. One explanation appears superior to the others because it is easy to understand, mathematically rigorous, generalizes to a broader class of problems, and avoids the deficiencies of the other explanations. (MNS)

Presents an educational game on probability that can be the starting point for an open-ended statistical project. (ASK)

Investigated relationships among different types of errors occurring during probability problem solving by 50 graduate students without mathematical sophistication. Categorized errors as text comprehension, conceptual, procedural, and arithmetic/computation errors. Discusses implications for the teaching and learning of probability problem…

Proposes a new training approach to teach effective statistical thinking and describes two studies where people were trained to solve tasks involving conjunctive and conditional probabilities using a frequency grid. Discusses frequency format versus probability format, and describes results that suggest the importance of learning by doing.…

This article addresses issues in model building and statistical inference in the context of student modeling. The use of probability-based reasoning to explicate hypothesized and empirical relationships and to structure inference in the context of proportional reasoning tasks is discussed. Ideas are illustrated with an example concerning…