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Sensitivity to Context in Human Interactions

Author

Listed:
  • Oliver Waddup

    (Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London EC1V 0HB, UK)

  • Pawel Blasiak

    (Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-342 Kraków, Poland)

  • James M. Yearsley

    (Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London EC1V 0HB, UK)

  • Bartosz W. Wojciechowski

    (Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, 31-007 Kraków, Poland)

  • Emmanuel M. Pothos

    (Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London EC1V 0HB, UK)

Abstract

Considering two agents responding to two (binary) questions each, we define sensitivity to context as a state of affairs such that responses to a question depend on the other agent’s questions, with the implication that it is not possible to represent the corresponding probabilities with a four-way probability distribution. We report two experiments with a variant of a prisoner’s dilemma task (but without a Nash equilibrium), which examine the sensitivity of participants to context. The empirical results indicate sensitivity to context and add to the body of evidence that prisoner’s dilemma tasks can be constructed so that behavior appears inconsistent with baseline classical probability theory (and the assumption that decisions are described by random variables revealing pre-existing values). We fitted two closely matched models to the results, a classical one and a quantum one, and observed superior fits for the latter. Thus, in this case, sensitivity to context goes hand in hand with (epiphenomenal) entanglement, the key characteristic of the quantum model.

Suggested Citation

  • Oliver Waddup & Pawel Blasiak & James M. Yearsley & Bartosz W. Wojciechowski & Emmanuel M. Pothos, 2021. "Sensitivity to Context in Human Interactions," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(21), pages 1-29, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:9:y:2021:i:21:p:2784-:d:670916
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shane Frederick, 2005. "Cognitive Reflection and Decision Making," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(4), pages 25-42, Fall.
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