There are two problems with measuring rationality, one of which is difficult but manageable, the other of which might be insurmountable. The first problem is that most conceivable tests of rationality require using information from other fields (such as finance, physics, or psychology), such that you can gain a considerable advantage on the test by studying things from that field which don’t actually make you more rational. This can be solved with sufficient cleverness.
The second problem is that how rational someone is depends on how well they maintain it under stress. Pressure, fatigue, emotionally charged situations, alcohol, and/or deliberate manipulation, can make the best rationalists act completely insane. (About a year ago, I went on a reality television show, which was in a way like a series of rationality tests. I didn’t do all that well, rationality-wise, but some people who should have known better did dramatically worse.)
Yes, the maintaining under stress aspect is key. This is a large part of why poker is hard—it has many characteristics which maximize stress by triggering bad primal instincts.
About a year ago, I went on a reality television show
This suggests a very easy way of inducing conditions appropriate to a more thorough testing of rationality. Any student who insists on leaving (which I think you’d be ethically obliged to allow for) would receive a failing grade. See how well the rest manage to be rational despite the circumstances.
alcohol
This one is probably also eminently doable, especially in a casual setting. I’m sure enough people would object to “Binge drinking night” that you couldn’t make it a course requirement in modern-day US, alas. (There’s possibly also more ideal drugs than alcohol for these purposes—at a minimum, given individual reactions and tolerances vary, using a variety of pharmaceuticals would probably reduce noise some)
I’m not sure how well this would carry over to mental stuff, but I know that some martial arts schools and many police and military organizations use physical exercise to create fatigue and/or adrenaline highs during training.
There are two problems with measuring rationality, one of which is difficult but manageable, the other of which might be insurmountable. The first problem is that most conceivable tests of rationality require using information from other fields (such as finance, physics, or psychology), such that you can gain a considerable advantage on the test by studying things from that field which don’t actually make you more rational. This can be solved with sufficient cleverness.
The second problem is that how rational someone is depends on how well they maintain it under stress. Pressure, fatigue, emotionally charged situations, alcohol, and/or deliberate manipulation, can make the best rationalists act completely insane. (About a year ago, I went on a reality television show, which was in a way like a series of rationality tests. I didn’t do all that well, rationality-wise, but some people who should have known better did dramatically worse.)
Yes, the maintaining under stress aspect is key. This is a large part of why poker is hard—it has many characteristics which maximize stress by triggering bad primal instincts.
This suggests a very easy way of inducing conditions appropriate to a more thorough testing of rationality. Any student who insists on leaving (which I think you’d be ethically obliged to allow for) would receive a failing grade. See how well the rest manage to be rational despite the circumstances.
This one is probably also eminently doable, especially in a casual setting. I’m sure enough people would object to “Binge drinking night” that you couldn’t make it a course requirement in modern-day US, alas. (There’s possibly also more ideal drugs than alcohol for these purposes—at a minimum, given individual reactions and tolerances vary, using a variety of pharmaceuticals would probably reduce noise some)
I’m not sure how well this would carry over to mental stuff, but I know that some martial arts schools and many police and military organizations use physical exercise to create fatigue and/or adrenaline highs during training.