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2005-06-28 -Short Attention Span Theater-
Monkeys show the same “irrational” aversion to risks as humans
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Posted by phil_b 2005-06-28 06:40|| || Front Page|| [11128 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 I wonder what would happen if a highly trained Big Swinging D*ck of a trader monkey were introduced to the group.
Posted by Shipman 2005-06-28 07:58||   2005-06-28 07:58|| Front Page Top

#2 or maybe the monkeys just thought the guy who put out a piece of apple, and then pulled it back, was a jerk and bought from the other guy to spite him.
Posted by 2b 2005-06-28 08:50||   2005-06-28 08:50|| Front Page Top

#3 Try the same experiment with birthday cake and watch what happens.
Posted by ed 2005-06-28 09:12||   2005-06-28 09:12|| Front Page Top

#4 The salesman offering two pieces would, as in the first regime, actually hand over only one of them half the time

The researchers were, whether they know it or not, engaged in operant conditioning. Offering 2 pieces sometimes, but not always, is a standard form of strong reinforcement in that training technique. It's how dolphins and killer whales are trained at Sea World and how some of the best dog trainers produce top agility and obedience dogs who work happily and intently.

Great little paperback book on all this: Karen Pryor's Don't Shoot the Dog. Pryor used to do behavioral research and training with sea mammals, does wonderful work with dogs and horses. The book has a clever and humane approach to dealing with annoying habits in spouses and roomates, too LOL.
Posted by rkb 2005-06-28 09:24||   2005-06-28 09:24|| Front Page Top

#5 Yep, RKB, irregular payoff is a crazy-strong trainning device.

See also, machines pinball, slot.
Posted by Shipman 2005-06-28 09:49||   2005-06-28 09:49|| Front Page Top

#6 It is not irrational to settle for a solution who guarantees minimum instead of one who guarantees you a higher output on average but with a possibility to get nothing.

In economics there is a thing called the law of decreasing marginal usefulness. For instance to a man who s on the verge of dying from thirst the first glass of water has more value than diamonds,
successive glasses have lower and lower value until he reaches a point where more water will make him sick.

So while the low risk solution gaves you less goods on average, it provides more usefulness on average because you ever get that highly valuable first unit (usefulness 100) while the other solution provides less useful fourth and fifth units (usefulness 20 and 10 respectively).

* Weighting of usefulness is arbitrary, but consistant with theory ie decreasing
Posted by JFM">JFM  2005-06-28 10:36||   2005-06-28 10:36|| Front Page Top

#7 So how long before the biggest monkey beat the crap out the little guys and stole their lunch money?
Posted by DO 2005-06-28 11:32||   2005-06-28 11:32|| Front Page Top

#8 lol! Can I get for that study?
Posted by 2b 2005-06-28 11:38||   2005-06-28 11:38|| Front Page Top

#9 oops..can I get a big grant for that study?
Posted by 2b 2005-06-28 11:38||   2005-06-28 11:38|| Front Page Top

#10 I'm with ed. Get back to me when the monkeys start ripping peoples faces off to get at a birthday cake.
Posted by tu3031 2005-06-28 13:44||   2005-06-28 13:44|| Front Page Top

#11 ed's got a point about the BD cake. Young children are obsessive about 'fairness'. A socialism gene?
Posted by phil_b 2005-06-28 17:57||   2005-06-28 17:57|| Front Page Top

#12 Indeedy do, we need a grant. I've always figured the BD problem was a leadership deal, perhaps there's something else going on. Kidz do like the cut or choose method tho. Weird.

I may have to pitch one in the pool to see what effect it has on residual goods.
Posted by Shipman 2005-06-28 20:13||   2005-06-28 20:13|| Front Page Top

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