From who will host to who will have the last piece of cake, ‘tis the season to bicker like wild animals Have yourself a merrier little Christmas with our game theory guide to a happy family holiday NewScientistAdventCalendar
How can you harness the power of incentives to reduce the extra food? Give a prize to the cook whose dish is totally gone, or make the guest with the most leftovers host next time. Now it’s not a measure of one’s love, it’s a game.The kids are misbehaving after dinner. Mum yells, “If you don’t stop, we’re leaving!” They ignore her, and minutes later the antique lamp is in pieces. Why didn’t the children listen? They knew an overstuffed Mum didn’t really want to leave.
The principle is the same when far more is at stake. One argument for holding nuclear weapons is to deter other countries from using theirs. But what if the other country strikes first? You can’t retaliate if you’ve been wiped out. To maintain a credible threat, the UK has “” aboard its four nuclear submarines: instructions for what to do in that situation. Since enemies don’t know where the subs are, or what the instructions say, the danger of retaliation is real.
For Mum though, it might be enough to threaten to make the kids do the dishes. If they know she is more than happy to follow through, it’s more likely to have an impact.Everyone else is busy straightening up the house, but Uncle Larry is on the couch playing. How can you make him do his fair share? It’s no use telling him that everyone thinks he should help. People pay more attention to empirical expectations, what others do, than normative expectations, what others say they should do.
You can put empirical expectations to work with Larry. Make a point of having someone clean up around him, so he can see them doing it. He might just feel obliged to pitch in.You are about to put your feet up when you sense an argument brewing over whether to play charades or put onfor the umpteenth time. What to do? Use an auction. Those in the opposing camps can bargain by offering to do chores. Whoever makes the best offer – finish washing the dishes and tidy up the kitchen – gets to pick.
A similar scenario applies in trade union negotiations or international trade deals. If the terms aren’t fair enough for everyone, they all lose out on the benefits of striking a deal.that people will reject a financial offer, despite losing money in the process, if they think they are getting a raw deal. Even when it comes at our own expense, we all take pleasure in punishing someone who is acting unfairly.
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