Finally, participants searched for more information when there was only one experienced option in the mixed-mode condition than when both options were experienced in the pure-experience condition.

Using CPT’s value and probability weighting functions to characterize how observed outcome and probability information was subjectively distorted in people’s choices, we found clear differences between the pure description and experience conditions in line with previous research.

To test this, we studied risky choices between options that are presented in either the same or in different learning modes—that is, choices between two described or two experienced options or between a described and an experienced option (i.e., a mixed learning mode; see image).