Instructions for Measuring Knowledge: Part E

We will again ask you questions about various facts about the world, about history, and about your beliefs about those facts.

1. How many states were in the United States of America in 1880?

2. What is the distance from San Francisco to New York in miles? Please do not type any comma in the box, but just type in the number. For example, if you think it is 2,500 miles, just type in "2500"; if you think it is 5,800 miles, just type in "5800", but don't type in any commas or any decimals.
MILES

3. What year was the telephone invented?

4. How many people attended Disneyland (California) per year (in 2019, before Covid), in MILLIONS, to the nearest MILLION? Please do not type any commas into the box, but just the total number of MILLIONS. So, if you think there were 18,000,000 people attended Disneyland in 2019, type in "18"; if you think 500,000,000 attended, type in "500". That is, just type your best estimate to the nearest MILLION people.
MILLION

The next 16 questions are about the length of the Mississippi River. Please read through the next 12 questions before you answer the next set of questions. For each trial, answer whether you think the length of the river is LONGER or SHORTER than the amount given. Scroll down and look at the possible lengths, then answer the questions.

5. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 1800 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

6. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 1850 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

7. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 1900 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

8. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 2000 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

9. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 2200 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

10. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 2400 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

11. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 2600 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

12. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 2800 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

13. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 3000 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

14. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 3500 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

15. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 4000 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

16. Is the Mississippi River Shorter than 4600 miles?
LONGER      SHORTER

17. What is your best estimate of the exact length of the Mississippi River in miles? (Do not type any commas)

18. How confident are you that your answer is within 100 miles of the correct value?
Very Unconfident   Very Confident

For the next two items, choose lowest and highest estimates of the distance, so that you are 95% confident that the right answer falls between the two numbers.

19. What is the SMALLEST DISTANCE that it might plausibly be?

20. What is the LONGEST DISTANCE that it might plausibly be?

21. How did you know or learn about the Mississippi River? How do you know or how did you estimate the length of the river?

22. Are you Male or Female?
Female
Male

23. What is your age? years.

24. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

25. Nationality (country of birth):

CSUF STUDENTS: Please provide the following information so that we can give you credit for your participation.

LAST NAME:

FIRST NAME:

CWID:

EMAIL ADDRESS:

Please check your answers. When you are done, push the button below.

Thank You!