Do transitive preferences always result in indifferent divisions?

The transitivity of preferences is one of the basic assumptions used in the theory of games and decisions. It is often equated with rationality of choice and is considered useful in building rankings. Intransitive preferences are considered paradoxical and undesirable. This problem is discussed by many social and natural sciences. The paper discusses a simple model of sequential game in which two players in each iteration of the game choose one of the two elements. They make their decisions in different contexts defined by the rules of the game. It appears that the optimal strategy of one of the players can only be intransitive! (the so-called \textsl{relevant intransitive strategies}.) On the other hand, the optimal strategy for the second player can be either transitive or intransitive. A quantum model of the game using pure one-qubit strategies is considered. In this model, an increase in importance of intransitive strategies is observed -- there is a certain course of the game where intransitive strategies are the only optimal strategies for both players. The study of decision-making models using quantum information theory tools may shed some new light on the understanding of mechanisms that drive the formation of types of preferences.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure

Health behavior of paramedics : in the light of own research

Cechy charakterystyczne zawodu ratownika medycznego to między innymi ciągły kontakt z różnymi rodzajami chorób i urazów, ogromna odpowiedzialność za zdrowie i życie pacjentów oraz działanie w sytuacjach silnego stresu. Aby poradzić sobie z chronicznym napięciem psychicznym oraz zregenerować siły człowiek może wykorzystywać strategie prozdrowotne lub takie, które szkodzą zdrowiu. Celem artykułu jest dokonanie charakterystyki zachowań zdrowotnych ratowników medycznych. Jeśli weźmiemy pod uwagę stopień narażenia na stres w pracy, rezultat osiągnięty przez ratowników medycznych może niepokoić. Działania, które należy podjąć, aby podnieść poziom zachowań zdrowotnych ratowników medycznych powinny dotyczyć dwóch kwestii: regularnych szkoleń i warsztatów psychologicznych oraz spotkań grupowych, zwłaszcza po trudnych i wyczerpujących akcjach ratunkowych.Being a paramedic involves constant contact with different types of diseases and injuries, a huge responsibility for patients' health and life and work under high stress. To cope with chronic stress and to recuperate, one can use healthy or harmful strategies. This article aims to measure and describe health behaviors in paramedics. If we take into consideration the degree of stress at work, paramedics' results can be disturbing. Actions to be taken to raise the level of health behaviors should address two issues: regular training and psychological workshops and group meetings (defusing and debriefing), especially after difficult and exhausting rescue operations

Cat's Dilemma

We study a simple example of a sequential game illustrating problems connected with making rational decisions that are universal for social sciences. The set of chooser's optimal decisions that manifest his preferences in case of a constant strategy of the adversary (the offering player), is investigated. It turns out that the order imposed by the player's rational preferences can be intransitive. The presented quantitative results imply a revision of the "common sense" opinions stating that preferences showing intransitivity are paradoxical and undesired.

Quantum Cat's Dilemma: an Example of Intransitivity in a Quantum Game

We study a quantum version of the sequential game illustrating problems connected with making rational decisions. We compare the results that the two models (quantum and classical) yield. In the quantum model intransitivity gains importance significantly. We argue that the quantum model describes our spontaneously shown preferences more precisely than the classical model, as these preferences are often intransitive.

Turkey after the start of negotiations with the European Union - foreign relations and the domestic situation, Part II. OSW Report, July 2008

The Centre for Eastern Studies has decided to embark on the project entitled 'Turkey after the start of negotiations with the European Union - foreign relations and the domestic situation' for two major reasons: the start of the accession negotiations between Ankara and the European Union in October 2005, and the significant part which Turkey plays in western Eurasia (the Caucasus, the countries in the basins of the Black and Caspian Seas, the Middle East and the Balkans) which We wish to present our readers our second report discussing Turkey's relations with Central Asia, the Caucasus and Russia, the aspect of Turkish foreign policy regarding the Black Sea, and the role of Turkey as a transit country for oil and gas from the Middle East and the Caspian regions. The evaluation of Turkey's standpoint and potential regarding the aforementioned issues is especially important, considering the tensions existing in Turkey's relations with the EU and the USA, as well as the West's increasing engagement in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Black Sea regions. In this process, Ankara may play the role of a significant ally for the West. However, it may just as readily play the role of its rival, who could co-operate with other countries and may seriously frustrate the implementation of the EU and US' goals. The Report was developed between autumn 2006 and autumn 2007, over which time the project participants searched for publicly available documents in Poland, Turkey, EU countries and the USA, and went on five research trips to Central Asia, Russia, Turkey and Caucasus, where they met local analysts, officials and researchers

Decisions in elections --- transitive or intransitive quantum preferences

Our preferences depend on the circumstances in which we reveal them. We will introduce a dependency which allows us to illustrate the relation between the possibility of winning of particular candidates in a quantum election and the type of preference. It occurs that if voters start to clearly prefer one of the candidates, the significance of intransitive preferences in the quantum model decreases. This dynamic change cannot be observed in the case of the classical model.Comment: 11 pages 3 figure