Paper better than rock
Published 05.08.09 11:10
Popularity of rock makes paper-scissors-rock not quite as random as commonly perceived.
Choose paper when resolving disputes with the game paper-scissors-rock, says academic researcher from Roskilde University.
Pelle Guldborg Hansen, who is working on a doctorate in philosophy and scientific theory, has looked into the intricacies of the game and found that of the three potential choices – rock, paper or scissors – people most often choose rock.
And because other studies show that the least common choice is scissors – 29.6 percent of outcomes – he concludes that the best option when facing an opponent is paper, which according to the game’s rules beats rock.
Theoretically each of the three options has an equal chance of winning, since each can beat, and is beaten by, one other option. While paper ‘covers’ rock, scissors ‘cut’ paper, and rock ‘smashes’ scissors.
Hansen explained that people’s preference for rock was tied to perceptions that it was more powerful than the other options, particularly when faced with a situation in which the outcome was determined by chance
Published 05.08.09 11:10
Popularity of rock makes paper-scissors-rock not quite as random as commonly perceived.
Choose paper when resolving disputes with the game paper-scissors-rock, says academic researcher from Roskilde University.
Pelle Guldborg Hansen, who is working on a doctorate in philosophy and scientific theory, has looked into the intricacies of the game and found that of the three potential choices – rock, paper or scissors – people most often choose rock.
And because other studies show that the least common choice is scissors – 29.6 percent of outcomes – he concludes that the best option when facing an opponent is paper, which according to the game’s rules beats rock.
Theoretically each of the three options has an equal chance of winning, since each can beat, and is beaten by, one other option. While paper ‘covers’ rock, scissors ‘cut’ paper, and rock ‘smashes’ scissors.
Hansen explained that people’s preference for rock was tied to perceptions that it was more powerful than the other options, particularly when faced with a situation in which the outcome was determined by chance
