Choice--AKA Psych "Stuff" Part 1

[It'sNotAFakeID]

I've always wanted to do this, but have never really thought it would catch on, but it looks like you Huskerboard-ers are pretty much up for anything, so here it goes. Over the next several days/weeks/months, I'm going to post in this sub-forum a number of questions, most of them involving choice. Some of them will be answered via a poll; others will be answered by just typing in a response as a reply.

Here's the second scenario, and there is a poll attached:

You are a physician working in an African village, and 1,000 people have come down with a life-threatening disease. Two possible treatments exist. If you choose treatment A, exactly 750 people will die. If you choose treatment B, there is a 1/4 chance that nobody will die, and a 3/4 chance that everyone will die. Which treatment do you choose?

Please answer in the poll above.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, this poll will close in 5 days and will be replaced by a new poll.

 

[Landlord]

Voted B, but only with the consent of the villagers.

 

[PaulCrewe]

I cut my losses and ran like hell back home

 

[ADS]

Voted B because, well, YOLO.

 

[Omaha-Husker]

I chose B. A you guarantee 750 deaths and 250 extremely depressed people. B you at least have the chance to save everyone and if you don't you don't leave the long lasting mental scars like you would in A. Both are crappy scenarios though.

 

[tschu]

i'd ask the villagers. oh damn that not an option?

 

[MLB 51]

Are you going to tell us how screwed up we are because of the choice we made?

 

[tschu]

yeah i responded against my better judgement. I AM NOT A LAB RAT

 

[krc1995]

Does 1000 diseased people represent the entire village population? If so, you would certainly have to choose A. I choose A regardless because I am thinking in terms of lives saved rather then lives cost.

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

Are you going to tell us how screwed up we are because of the choice we made?

Not at all. I'm not concerned with that, just the choice.

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

Does 1000 diseased people represent the entire village population? If so, you would certainly have to choose A. I choose A regardless because I am thinking in terms of lives saved rather then lives cost.

For this case, imagine yes.

 

[Mavric]

Well, I'm a middle class, Caucasian, American male so I must not care about anyone of lower standing so I'll go option B because either I'll be the hero or ... who cares about Africa.

OK, seriously. Option B because I'll take a "fighting" chance of saving everyone.

 

[JJ Husker]

Had to go with B. I figured everyone deserved a chance and if it didn't work out, your only 250 worse off than the guaranteed 750 loser route of choice A. Actually it isn't a very tough choice IMO. Now if it risks the total loss of a species or ethnic group, then you might have to consider saving a guaranteed 250.

 

[EbylHusker]

A. Acceptable losses are a b!^@h, but they're the reality we live in.

 

[T_O_Bull]

Choice B. I have faith in myself as a doctor.