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Luke_A_Somers comments on [LINK] Prisoner's Dilemma? Not So Much - Less Wrong Discussion

4 Post author: torekp 20 May 2014 11:38PM

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Comment author: Luke_A_Somers 21 May 2014 10:32:37PM 1 point [-]

Every day we deal with a thousand 'games' that are really uninteresting because the payoff matrix is so lopsided that we don't even think about it.

If we take those situations out of the denominator, what does the fraction look like?

Comment author: torekp 22 May 2014 12:47:54AM 0 points [-]

In the context of evolutionary psychology, taking those situations out of the denominator might be a bad idea, leading to biased thinking.

Comment author: Luke_A_Somers 22 May 2014 03:40:13PM 0 points [-]

How? When do you actually reason with this ratio, actually?

Comment author: torekp 22 May 2014 04:40:55PM 0 points [-]

The use for Rusch's ratio is"how important is it for biologists to study this particular payoff structure"? Your suggested revised ratio wouldn't be good for that.

It might be good for something else - rationality training? But that's a different subject. I suspect that, even in that context, the PD is overemphasized, and other structures relatively neglected.

Comment author: Luke_A_Somers 23 May 2014 06:12:07PM 1 point [-]

Is it important for biologists to study the payoff structures like 'stab yourself in the eye' or 'get into a fight you can't win'?

Comment author: torekp 23 May 2014 10:00:31PM 1 point [-]

It's important to be aware of the "boring" and "stupid" payoff structures, even if their solutions are obvious. Especially when the organism can't infallibly tell which game situation it's in.