Being able to reliably select a schelling point surely improves coordination in (large) groups but it doesn’t neccessarily maximize utilons. At least the given obvious strategies have the disadvantage of selecting unique solutions but arguably ones that may yield less overall satisfaction.
On the movie example the best strategy may significantly depend on the number of participants (and options). Being alone in the movie is dissattisfactory for most but less likely if you are a large group in which case it’d be likely to meet somebody in any movie. In that case the best strategy is obviously to choose the movie you like most.
For a medium size group a strategy that is least likely to dissatisfy anyone may be a good strategy.
I chose E.T. on the movie question for that reason which seems to be not that bad a real life choice (I didn’t assume a romantic but a general setting due to the fact the the whole audience was invited).
[A] meta-strategy [], whereby on all disputes one designated partner acquiesces to the wishes of the other.
I always assumed that the partner doing the decision would choose the option preferred by the other who already has the burden of being late. This of course assumes that love is true and mutual thus both may assume good faith on the other. This may in itself by romantic and unrealistic though.
Being able to reliably select a schelling point surely improves coordination in (large) groups but it doesn’t neccessarily maximize utilons. At least the given obvious strategies have the disadvantage of selecting unique solutions but arguably ones that may yield less overall satisfaction.
On the movie example the best strategy may significantly depend on the number of participants (and options). Being alone in the movie is dissattisfactory for most but less likely if you are a large group in which case it’d be likely to meet somebody in any movie. In that case the best strategy is obviously to choose the movie you like most.
For a medium size group a strategy that is least likely to dissatisfy anyone may be a good strategy. I chose E.T. on the movie question for that reason which seems to be not that bad a real life choice (I didn’t assume a romantic but a general setting due to the fact the the whole audience was invited).
I always assumed that the partner doing the decision would choose the option preferred by the other who already has the burden of being late. This of course assumes that love is true and mutual thus both may assume good faith on the other. This may in itself by romantic and unrealistic though.