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kaaatieI have a hypothetical question related to a conversation that I've been having...
Let's presume that there's a group of prisoners (let's say 10 of them). An executioner puts them all in a position where each individual has a 50% chance of surviving (and a 50% chance of dying). There's no chance of escape, and no chance of rescue. However, if one of the prisoners volunteers to take the 50% chance of dying, then the other prisoners are all guaranteed to survive. The question is: do you think one of them would volunteer? Do you think the size of the group would influence the outcome?
Now, a different example.
A group of people are working in an office, and someone comes in and offers them all a chance to be given a new car (a corvette). Each individual has a 50% chance of getting a new car. However, if one person agrees to take the 50% chance at the car, then everyone else is guaranteed to get a new car. Do you think someone would volunteer? Do you think people would be more or less likely to volunteer in this example versus the other example?
I think this seems like the perfect opportunity for a poll:
[Poll #1194893]
Let's presume that there's a group of prisoners (let's say 10 of them). An executioner puts them all in a position where each individual has a 50% chance of surviving (and a 50% chance of dying). There's no chance of escape, and no chance of rescue. However, if one of the prisoners volunteers to take the 50% chance of dying, then the other prisoners are all guaranteed to survive. The question is: do you think one of them would volunteer? Do you think the size of the group would influence the outcome?
Now, a different example.
A group of people are working in an office, and someone comes in and offers them all a chance to be given a new car (a corvette). Each individual has a 50% chance of getting a new car. However, if one person agrees to take the 50% chance at the car, then everyone else is guaranteed to get a new car. Do you think someone would volunteer? Do you think people would be more or less likely to volunteer in this example versus the other example?
I think this seems like the perfect opportunity for a poll:
[Poll #1194893]
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-28 05:03 am (UTC)I said I'd explain because I think it's more of an equal-ish mixture of wanting to be a hero, identification with the group, and genuinely altruistic feelings...The more the person can identify with the group, I'm thinking the more they might feel like dying for the group is 'worth it'
I remember this story from WWII where the Nazis had rounded up all these villages/townspeople and said that if this saboteur (sp?) didn't come forward, all of them would be shot. This man did step forward, he was hanged/shot for spying, etc and the rest of the people were allowed to go. Bottom line, he didn't do the bombing. He gave up his life for the rest of those people, and he really sort of did it for all of those reasons, (at least that was my interpretation). I sort of based my answers on that first situation based on this story...
I'd like to think that more people would volunteer in the car example because it'd be a *nice* thing to do. Besides, 50% chance of winning one is better than nothing, which my chances of getting a new car are right now. Besides, maybe I could guilt one of the winners into sharing it with me? Or maybe they have a car newer than mine and they would let me use it while they drove the hot new car. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-31 04:28 am (UTC)That story is very interesting (and sad). I think that it takes a certain sort of person to do that, but there certainly are people around who would willingly sacrifice themselves for the greater good. John Sheppard would!
I asked a few people at my work about the car example, and I was surprised by the number of people who thought that people would be less likely to volunteer in that situation. I would like to think that more people would volunteer --- as you said, they still have a 50% chance.