A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
Your answer could reveal if you have autistic traits.
If you answered 10 cents you are likely a system one thinker, who makes quick decisions.
Unfortunately, you’d be wrong.
The correct answer is five cents, and people who got it right are likely system two thinkers, whose way of processing information is more methodical.
The majority of people on the autism spectrum are system two thinkers, which is why the test is used by doctors in the US as part of a comprehensive evaluation to diagnose the disorder.
Olesya Luraschi is a Harvard graduate and psychologist. She helps people improve their lives and learn about their cognitive abilities
The question, is one of three asked during a Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), which is often used by psychologists to determine if a person has autism spectrum disorder.
This is because no one test can be a comprehensive evaluation of whether someone is on the autism spectrum.
It was first described in 2005 by psychologist Shane Frederick who asked college students to answer the question, but only 20 to 40 percent of all who attempted it passed.
Psychologist Olesya Luraschi, who is also a high-performance coach, explained that how people answer the problem may suggest they have a System 1 or System 2 way of thinking thinking, which is how the brain processes information.
You’re told that the bat and ball cost $1.10 together, with the ball costing $1 more.
The question prompts you to imagine that the ball costs 10 cents, but the ball is $1 more than that.
If the ball were to cost 10 cents, then the bat would be $1.10, which would put the amount at more than what was initially given.
So the ball has to cost less than 10 cents.
If the ball costs five cents, then the bat would be $1 more, or $1.05, which adds up to $1.10.
Luraschi said a person’s answer ‘does not necessarily mean you have autism, … but this is a question that is sometimes used by psychologists when they’re attempting to diagnose the disorder.’
If a person takes the time to think through the question and answers it correctly, it reveals that they’re using their ability to think logically to fully understand the mathematical components.
This could put them on the spectrum because those with autism are neurologically built to think this way.
A mathematical question that asks people to answer how much a ball costs could reveal whether you have autism spectrum disorder
Luraschi said that answering the question correctly ‘can be indicative of a certain type of thinking style.’
Although this test cannot replace a clinical diagnosis, it can shed light on your thinking style.
A 2022 study found that those who were autistic and relied on the slower, logical and intuitive way of thinking were more likely to answer the question correctly.
According to the study, ‘autistic participants did produce more deliberative answers than the non-autistic participants.
‘However, both groups produced comparably more intuitive answers and less deliberative answers in the fast condition.’
