Computer mouse Movements May Reveal Appetite For Risk

[maximus otter]

A person's proclivity for risk-taking can be sussed out of the subtle movements of a computer mouse, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For the study, researchers tracked the movement of the computer mouse as study participants selected between two possible gambling bets, one safe and one risky.

How participants moved their mouse prior to making their selection allowed researchers to accurately predict how the participants would respond to similar risk choices.

The researchers found participants who moved their mouse toward the safe bet before selecting the riskier play were more risk-averse than their choice suggested.

Similarly, participants who nudged the mouse in the direction of the risky bet before playing it safe were found be surprisingly willing to take on risk.

"We could see the conflict people were feeling making the choice through their hand movements with the mouse. How much their hand is drawn to the choice they didn't make can reveal a lot about how difficult the decision was for them", said lead study author Paul Stillman.

https://www.upi.com/Science_News/20...eveal-appetite-for-risk-taking/2691606161911/

maximus otter

 

[Mythopoeika]

Sounds 'iffy' to me.

 

[AgProv]

"How participants moved their mouse prior to making their selection allowed researchers to accurately predict how the participants would respond to similar risk choices."

What exactly was being measured here?
Moving the mouse (on the mat) - or moving the cursor (on the screen)?