The Gameshow, The Prize, The Greed

"Congratulations you have won a 200,000 Pesos! Would you like to take this prize or go for the mystery prize at one of our mystery doors! What could be behind door number 1 or door number 2?!?!"

Which one would it be?

One of the oldest scenarios in older game shows. Choose between a sure prize or choose from a mystery prize, a dilemma of sorts but still more often than not people would choose the mystery door and not the prize. This is a gamble right? It seems counter intuitive to even choose the mystery door over a sure prize, for all we know the 2 doors could just be empty. This scenario was the first thing that popped into my mind when I learned about Social Exchange and Uncertainty Reduction. Although both are different I see them as an interconnected theory ( although now that I think about it all theories are interconnected and may affect each other ). I will try to explain why you would like to choose the mystery door rather than the prize. I admit even I am tempted to open the mystery door.

"So you have chosen door number 1! Let us see what is behind door number 1! Door number 1 holds....... "Uncertainty Reduction"!!!!" 
Uncertainty Reduction just really points out one thing in a relationship and it is that humans hate and fear uncertainty. The need to know someone or something seems to be hot wired into our brains. For example when you meet someone new your first reaction would be ask them their name and other demographic data about that person, it is because you hate "not knowing" anything about the person. Uncertainty is the natural enemy of predictability. Not knowing how to act in front of someone gives us the feeling of vulnerability ( imo only). I for one hate not knowing how to act in front of someone ( more over if I like that person ). This idea might be a possible reason why you chose door number 1 instead of the sure 200,000 pesos, you have the natural need to know what is exactly behind door number 1.

"What is behind number 2 then? Behind door number 2 is....... "Social Exchange", not a bad prize either!"

Now why did not choose the money or door number 2? Social Exchange may have something to do here. Social Exchange speaks of how people view relationships in an economical view. The use of a cost and reward ratio in whether to continue a relationship. Basically this means that if rewards > cost you are likely to continue but if cost > rewards it likely mean you will terminate. So maybe in this case you just saw to gamble 200,000 thinking that it is just a small amount.


"Thank you for playing!!!"
"Would you like another bonus round?"

When  I actually had the time to ponder about these two theories.... I was a bit dismayed. Knowing that we have the natural want or rather a need to know everything just to feel secure or to see if we even benefit was a bit disappointing. I know it to be true cause even now I was able to notice that even I am governed by this theory. Does that mean deep down people are naturally "greedy"? I don't know the answer to this. Maybe there are some rare cases that someone still tries to continue a relationship even if cost outweigh the rewards or they don't feel the need to know a lot about someone. Can you prove me to me that you are not "greedy" or guilty of this 2 theories being applicable to you?