Indicators of the human origin of numbers

TL;DR

This paper investigates how humans generate random number sequences, identifying effects, mechanisms, and measures to detect deviations from true randomness, with implications for data validation and understanding human cognition.

Contribution

It presents new findings on 10 effects and 14 measures related to human-generated random sequences, advancing understanding of human limitations in randomness production.

Findings

Identified 10 effects in human random number generation

Developed 14 measures to detect deviations from randomness

Discussed mechanisms explaining observed effects

Abstract

Researchers have demonstrated that humans are unable to generate a sequence of random numbers that corresponds in a statistical sense to a simple distribution such as the uniform distribution. The purpose of this article is to present the results of research on the generation of random number sequences by humans. The article describes 10 effects found in such studies, mechanisms explaining these effects, and 14 measures (not including modifications) used to detect deviations from randomness in the sequences. The analysis of numerical sequences is not only of academic interest; it can also be used for the purpose of data validation (auditing).