List of Paradoxes - Decision Theory

Decision Theory

• Abilene paradox: People can make decisions based not on what they actually want to do, but on what they think that other people want to do, with the result that everybody decides to do something that nobody really wants to do, but only what they thought that everybody else wanted to do.
• Apportionment paradox: Some systems of apportioning representation can have unintuitive results due to rounding
  • Alabama paradox: Increasing the total number of seats might shrink one block's seats.
  • New states paradox: Adding a new state or voting block might increase the number of votes of another.
  • Population paradox: A fast-growing state can lose votes to a slow-growing state.
• Arrow's paradox: Given more than two choices, no system can have all the attributes of an ideal voting system at once.
• Buridan's ass: How can a rational choice be made between two outcomes of equal value?
• Chainstore paradox: Even those who know better play the so-called chain store game in an irrational manner.
• Fenno's paradox: The belief that people generally disapprove of the United States Congress as a whole, but support the Congressman from their own Congressional district.
• Green paradox: Policies intending to reduce future CO₂ emissions may lead to increased emissions in the present.
• Inventor's paradox: It is easier to solve a more general problem that covers the specifics of the sought-after solution.
• Kavka's toxin puzzle: Can one intend to drink the non-deadly toxin, if the intention is the only thing needed to get the reward?
• Morton's fork: Choosing between unpalatable alternatives.
• Navigation paradox: Increased navigational precision may result in increased collision risk.
• Newcomb's paradox: How do you play a game against an omniscient opponent?
• Paradox of hedonism: When one pursues happiness itself, one is miserable; but, when one pursues something else, one achieves happiness.
• Paradox of tolerance: Should one tolerate intolerance if intolerance would destroy the possibility of tolerance?
• Paradox of voting: Also known as the Downs paradox. For a rational, self-interested voter the costs of voting will normally exceed the expected benefits, so why do people keep voting?
• Parrondo's paradox: It is possible to play two losing games alternately to eventually win.
• Prevention paradox: For one person to benefit, many people have to change their behavior — even though they receive no benefit, or even suffer, from the change.
• Prisoner's dilemma: Two people might not cooperate even if it is in both their best interests to do so.
• Relevance paradox: Sometimes relevant information is not sought out because its relevance only becomes clear after the information is available.
• Voting paradox: Also known as Condorcet's paradox and paradox of voting. A group of separately rational individuals may have preferences that are irrational in the aggregate.
• Willpower as a paradox: Those who kept their minds open were more goal-directed and more motivated than those who declared their objective to themselves.