Behavioural Isomorphism, Cognitive Economy and Recursive Thought in Non-Transitive Game Strategy

Dyson, Benjamin J.

doi:10.3390/g10030032

Cited by 15 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…More broadly, the mental representation of zero-sum games only with respect to the relationship between items can lead to identical behavior with more traditional representations that preserve both items and outcomes. For example, reference [8] discusses the behavioral isomorphism between zero-sum game strategy rules expressed in terms of the opponent's previous response only versus the participant's previous response and outcome.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Switching competitors reduces win-stay but not lose-shift behaviour: The role of outcome-action association strength on reinforcement learning

Srihaput¹,

Craplewe²,

Dyson³

2020

Preprint

Self Cite

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Predictability is a hallmark of poor-quality decision-making during competition. One source of predictability is the strong association between current outcome and future action, as dictated by the reinforcement learning principles of win-stay and lose-shift. We tested the idea that predictability could be reduced during competition by weakening the associations between outcome and action. To do this, participants completed a competitive zero-sum game in which the opponent from the current trial was either replayed (opponent repeat) thereby strengthening the association, or, replaced (opponent change) by a different competitor thereby weakening the association. We observed that win-stay behaviour was reduced during opponent change trials but lose-shift behaviour remained reliably predictable. Consistent with the group data, the number of individuals who exhibited predictable behaviour following wins decreased for opponent change relative to opponent repeat trials. Our data show that future actions are more under internal control following positive relative to negative outcomes, and that externally breaking the bonds between outcome and action via opponent association also allow us to become less prone to exploitation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Switching competitors reduces win-stay but not lose-shift behaviour: The role of outcome-action association strength on reinforcement learning

Srihaput¹,

Craplewe²,

Dyson³

2020

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…6 More broadly, the mental representation of zero-sum games only with respect to the relationship between items can lead to identical behavior with more traditional representations that preserve both items and outcomes. For example, reference [8] discusses the behavioral isomorphism between zero-sum game strategy rules expressed in terms of the opponent's previous response only versus the participant's previous response and outcome.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, humans reliably deviate from MS due to the high cognitive load demanded by this strategy, and, contrary expectations about the correlated nature of outcome distribution in the real world [6,7]. These deviations (see [8], for a review) are often expressed via the operant conditioning (reinforcement learning) principles of win-stay and lose-shift [9]. If we are more likely to repeat an action following success or more likely to change an action following failure, then this increases both predictability and the chance of future exploitation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Switching Competitors Reduces Win-Stay but Not Lose-Shift Behaviour: The Role of Outcome-Action Association Strength on Reinforcement Learning

Srihaput

Craplewe

Dyson

2020

Games

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Predictability is a hallmark of poor-quality decision-making during competition. One source of predictability is the strong association between current outcome and future action, as dictated by the reinforcement learning principles of win–stay and lose–shift. We tested the idea that predictability could be reduced during competition by weakening the associations between outcome and action. To do this, participants completed a competitive zero-sum game in which the opponent from the current trial was either replayed (opponent repeat) thereby strengthening the association, or, replaced (opponent change) by a different competitor thereby weakening the association. We observed that win–stay behavior was reduced during opponent change trials but lose–shiftbehavior remained reliably predictable. Consistent with the group data, the number of individuals who exhibited predictable behavior following wins decreased for opponent change relative to opponent repeat trials. Our data show that future actions are more under internal control following positive relative to negative outcomes, and that externally breaking the bonds between outcome and action via opponent association also allows us to become less prone to exploitation.

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“…As an initial test of competitive decision-making in Experiment 1, participants interacted with a computer opponent playing according to a mixed-strategy (MS) in the zero-sum game of Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS; see 41 for a review). In terms of defining optimal and sub-optimal performance, the Nash 42 equilibrium for RPS against an opponent playing mixed-strategy is for the participant to also play mixed-strategy.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability in competitive decision-making speed and quality against exploiting and exploitative opponents

Dyson

2021

Sci Rep

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A presumption in previous work has been that sub-optimality in competitive performance following loss is the result of a reduction in decision-making time (i.e., post-error speeding). The main goal of this paper is to test the relationship between decision-making speed and quality, with the hypothesis that slowing down decision-making should increase the likelihood of successful performance in cases where a model of opponent domination can be implemented. Across Experiments 1–3, the speed and quality of competitive decision-making was examined in a zero-sum game as a function of the nature of the opponent (unexploitable, exploiting, exploitable). Performance was also examined against the nature of a credit (or token) system used as a within-experimental manipulation (no credit, fixed credit, variable credit). To compliment reaction time variation as a function of outcome, both the fixed credit and variable credit conditions were designed to slow down decision-making, relative to a no credit condition where the game could be played in quick succession and without interruption. The data confirmed that (a) self-imposed reductions in processing time following losses (post-error speeding) were causal factors in determining poorer-quality behaviour, (b) the expression of lose-shift was less flexible than the expression of win-stay, and, (c) the use of a variable credit system may enhance the perceived control participants have against exploitable opponents. Future work should seek to disentangle temporal delay and response interruption as determinants of decision-making quality against numerous styles of opponency.

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Behavioural Isomorphism, Cognitive Economy and Recursive Thought in Non-Transitive Game Strategy

Cited by 15 publications

References 69 publications

Switching competitors reduces win-stay but not lose-shift behaviour: The role of outcome-action association strength on reinforcement learning

Switching competitors reduces win-stay but not lose-shift behaviour: The role of outcome-action association strength on reinforcement learning

Switching Competitors Reduces Win-Stay but Not Lose-Shift Behaviour: The Role of Outcome-Action Association Strength on Reinforcement Learning

Variability in competitive decision-making speed and quality against exploiting and exploitative opponents

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