Jane Week #11 - Choose Your Own Story
[Yes] [No]
Behavioral game theory describes the prediction of people’s decisions based on a variety of factors like social utility and predetermined knowledge: choice one might have outcome A or outcome B, and choice two might have outcome B or outcome C. “Players,” or the involved parties of an interaction, “have systematic ‘reciprocated social values’” that they base their judgment off of (Camerer). Describing the unconscious thought processes behind a person’s decision-making, behavioral game theory seeks to understand the power behind human dynamics.
I emerged from the cocoon built around me by the pandemic as I entered the eighth grade; I was forced to rebuild social skills through human interaction that was unpredictable and that I could not look up the answers to: in real life, there is no Wiki with the correct answers for the decisions I decide to make, and the consequences—both good and bad—all fall on me.
I often wonder how many of these types of choices I can pinpoint to a momentous point in time, and it is disorienting to realize there are many such actions I can confidently say altered my life. Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction” (“Newton’s”). Although Newton’s concept describes an element of physics, the same can be said for the strategy behind behavior.
Social awareness and reaction drives our ability to make decisions, powering our interactions with each other. We are constantly considering the effects of our words and actions even without realizing because strategic optimization is within our nature. It is important to remember that we drive the choices we make; it is important to remember that our actions will have consequences…
Works Cited
Camerer, Colin F. “Progress in Behavioral Game Theory.” Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol. 11, no. 4, 1997, pp. 167–188.
“Newton’s Third Law of Motion.” The Physics Classroom, www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/lesson-4/newton-s-third-law. Accessed 11 February 2025.
Hey Jane! I only heard of a Choose Your Own Adventure game two years ago if I'm being honest. But I loved that your blog (and its title) fit perfectly into this aesthetic and reminded me of those days where I was creating a game for it. It's sorta funny to think about the idea that our whole life is shaped by decisions, big and small. What do I eat for breakfast? Do I take this route or the other to my class? What homework should I do first? Though they only last a moment, each question gives way to another, leading to one big domino movement that defines the course of our day, month, life. I enjoyed the way you conveyed this in your blog, it had an air of professionalism to it. Especially when you used words like "strategic optimization," it felt almost scientific and I think that perfectly reflects the way you approached this piece. Not only that, but the way the you wrote helped me reflect on this concept as well, make me rethink all the "small" decisions I made even today. Overall, it was quite pleasant to read this piece and I look forward to reading more of your work!
ReplyDeleteHey Jane, your post is honestly so relatable, especially since most of us had that same feeling of being unsure how to act after the pandemic. Even before the pandemic, I had fairly poor social skills, and I was constantly unsure how to act around people. After the pandemic, I felt similar feelings, and I was always worried about how people would react or think based on the way I act. Reading the “choose your own adventure” books as a young child, I was always amazed by how simple the choices in those books were, and I yearned for a real life with such easy decisions. Reading your post reminded me of that past, and showed me how far I’ve come since then. I still think about how people would view my actions, but it's not a matter that I worry about, and I am confident in my actions. Overall, I enjoyed reading your post, and if you were to improve one aspect, I would suggest giving examples of decisions that “altered [your] life.”
ReplyDeleteHey Jane. First off I wanted to compliment your “image,” which is a combination of edited text and a butterfly. It’s very unique and it definitely caught my attention as it looked like I was actually in an online game.
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely many moments in our lives where we have multiple choices to pick from which may ultimately influence the rest of our lives. For example, my parents had an option to stay in New York or move to California, and their simple choice of moving to the west coast has completely changed my life and future. The people I grew up around, the schools I attend, and the atmosphere which I grew up in are all influenced by that one choice. And my parents probably didn’t think too much about moving to California, they had been moving from state to state for a while already, and California might’ve been another temporary stop for them. However what seemed to be a simple choice for them impacted me forever.
You’re right in emphasizing the importance of making sure to consider every single possible outcome in life. In our vocab list this week there was the word “circumspect,” with the definition being “mindful of circumstances and potential consequences.” This word perfectly describes the attitude that we should take in our lives, whether it be small or big decisions.
I really enjoyed your blog’s formatting and topic, I hope to read from you again next week!