The effect of feedback on unbounded number line estimation task

The main objective of the present study was to examine the effects of feedback on young adults' performance in an unbounded number line estimation task. The study consists of 4 different experiments, and a perception version of the unbounded number line estimation task was used. The experiments consisted of 3 sessions. In the first session, participants made their predictions without any feedback. In the second session, participants received either correct feedback, smaller false feedback, and larger false feedback, according to the experimental groups. In the last session, participants repeated the same experiment as in the first session to observe the effect of feedback. In line with the literature, the results showed that participants tended to underestimate numerosity in the first session and calibrated their answers after feedback was provided that is, the underestimation bias was significantly reduced. The results indicated that this calibration was not specific to the feedback session, since calibration effects were observed in the participants' responses throughout the third session. When the performances of the participants between the stages were analyzed according to the types of feedback they received, a significant difference was found in all groups.