That's why I'd like to see it on a point by point. If he does this every year he should have some date.
It's a psychology class and a good exercise in group mentality, examining why people act or choose in the manner that they do. It may not matter to someone studying law, econ or business, but I'm sure it's very relevant to those whose profession is studying how people's minds tick. Personally, I put down 2 points and, if I get the points, fine, and if I don't, fine, as well. I'll take what I earn just fine, but I also realize that I don't operate in this world with zero help from anyone. In essence, I view it as someone buying me a drink or giving a homeless dude a dollar. Did either of us earn the handout? No, but I'm not bothered by either one in the least and I'm not the type to tell people to **** off. Now, if it's 20 and 60 points, then we're talking a different deal. So, the choice is, basically, wanting everyone to burn or get a pretty trifling bump. I'll go with the latter, if I have to choose.
The extra credit isn't really the point. The point is illustrating a human tendency to not appreciate risk, and the tragedy of the commons.
What risk and what resource? You don't lose something you already have and you don't own the hypothetical points. It's an idiotic exercise that tries to tie individual choice to some sense of the collective good. None of the people in that class signed up to be part of a team for grading purposes. It's exactly the kind of thing some shithead career academician who has never had a single job outside of the college setting thinks is brilliant and the real world sees as an utter waste of time. It's nothing but a vanity piece for the professor to talk about with his equally detached from reality cohorts while they drink some shitty imported beer and talk about how [dadgum] smart they are.
Everyone gets 2 points. UNLESS more than 10% of the class tries to get 6, in which no one gets points. Forget the damn points if that is an issue. Say it is cows. Everyone can butcher 2 cows every year. UNLESS 10 % or more try to butcher 6, then no one gets any the next year.
how is that not appreciating risk? there's a risk I get zero no matter what I choose. there is no guarantee of a 2. the probability of me making the difference between the class getting 2 or 0 is a hell of a lot less than the 3 times expected payout so by that theory they ARE understand the risk reward portion. and if the prof's attempt is some sort of "gotcha, i'll never have to give these points, but i'll teach these little shits something" moment, then he's just being a dipshit.
It's not a good study of group dynamics because it is not a [dadgum] group effort. You have a group of individuals making decisions that they think most benefit them. What a shock that they don't engage in some sort of USSR 70's hockey share the wealth behavior.
Exactly. I understand the risk/reward matrix in the hypothetical perfectly and would take my chances choosing 6 all day long.
How much beef is needed and what is the price per pound? Also, how did someone get a monopoly on the supply of livestock?
Yeah, and there's a lesson in there, as you outline here. I can easily see how one could make a lesson in it and it doesn't, necessarily, have to do with anything regarding some kind of socialist morality play.
I once kept a girl from graduating because she didn't participate in a group project. Ask me my feelings on group 2 points when I could have 6.
It isn't a monopoly, it is a single herd in which everyone in the village owns an equal stake in. The price is irrelevant, it is subsistence living so going without will mean everyone goes hungry.
So, I can get something that doesn't separate my final ranking from anyone else or I can take a shot at ending up four steps ahead of my competition. Seems the decision should be pretty simple from a risk-reward analysis.
Of course it doesn't, it just looks ugly when you see that what is in the best interests of the individual can sometimes hurt the individual because they do not recognize or care that they are also part of a collective.
