Give them a coin and a d20. They flip the coin, and if it comes up heads, they tell you how many partners they’ve had. Otherwise, they roll the d20 and report the number that comes up minus one (to protect the identity of virgins). This still leaves people with more than 19 partners in the open. A geometric random number would be better, but more unwieldy to implement.
Alternatively: rig a random number generator such that it can be fixed to a known number without the subject’s knowledge. Demonstrate the random number generator in its unfixed state.
Then fix the generator for one trial, leave the room, and have the subject report that number plus their number of sexual partners.
Give them a coin and a d20. They flip the coin, and if it comes up heads, they tell you how many partners they’ve had. Otherwise, they roll the d20 and report the number that comes up minus one (to protect the identity of virgins). This still leaves people with more than 19 partners in the open. A geometric random number would be better, but more unwieldy to implement.
Alternatively: rig a random number generator such that it can be fixed to a known number without the subject’s knowledge. Demonstrate the random number generator in its unfixed state.
Then fix the generator for one trial, leave the room, and have the subject report that number plus their number of sexual partners.