jsalvatier comments on Hope Function - Less Wrong

22 Post author: gwern 01 July 2012 03:40PM

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Comment author: shminux 01 July 2012 06:15:16PM *  5 points [-]

I'm wondering if what the researchers observed was not what the test subjects think, but what they think they think. This is because they did not observe the behavior, but only asked the subjects how they would behave.

For example, at what odds would those who said that the odds of the bus arrival do not depend on the time remaining till midnight (and are 50/50) actually bet on the bus arriving (provided they had to place a bet), when it's 11:59? My suspicion is that it would not be 50/50.

Comment author: gwern 02 July 2012 01:38:48AM 1 point [-]

One has to wonder at the ethics of such an experiment - when you know tons of the subjects won't get even close to the right answer and thus would accept unfair bets!

Comment author: jsalvatier 02 July 2012 04:44:15AM 0 points [-]

Can't you just pay them more for doing the experiment?

Comment author: gwern 02 July 2012 04:53:55AM 0 points [-]

Then they might not have enough skin at stake? Or so one could argue.