# Participants’ Utilitarian Choice Is Influenced by Gamble Presentation and Age

## TL;DR

This study shows that how gambles are presented (vertically or horizontally) affects people's utilitarian choices, with older individuals taking longer to make decisions.

## Contribution

The study introduces the novel influence of gamble presentation format on utilitarian decision-making and age-related differences in decision time.

## Key findings

- Participants were less likely to choose non-utilitarian gambles when presented vertically.
- Vertical presentation facilitated between-gamble comparisons, leading to more utilitarian choices.
- Older participants took longer to make utilitarian errors, possibly due to more experience.

## Abstract

No prior behavioral science research has delved into the impact of gamble presentation (horizontal or vertical) on individuals’ utilitarian behavior, despite evidence suggesting that such choices can be influenced by comparing attributes like probability and money in gambles. This article addresses this gap by exploring the influence of gamble presentation on utilitarian behavior. A two-factor independent measures design was employed to explore the influence of the type of gamble presentation and age on participants’ utilitarian decision-making preferences. The findings showed a reduced likelihood of participants choosing the non-utilitarian gamble with vertically presented gambles compared to horizontal ones. Consequently, participants’ utilitarian behavior was influenced by between-gamble comparisons of available attributes, with utilitarian choices (e.g., choosing Gamble A) being more prevalent in vertical presentations due to a straightforward comparison on the probability attribute. Furthermore, the results also revealed that older participants take more time than their younger counterparts when making utilitarian errors. We attribute this to their abundant knowledge and experience. Future research should explore the comparative psychological processing used by participants in risky decision-making tasks.