Friday, April 30, 2010

Intersubjective Metacognition (2/2) - The I Think You Think Game

Intersubjective metacognition is a term that can be used to refer to the infamous "I think that you think that I think" / "I know that you know that I know" dialouge.How good are you at this type of metacognition? See how far you can follow these examples, taken from various comics (they increase in hardness!):

1. Patrick: You mean they're taking the thoughts we think we thought and making them thoughts we think we thought... I think.
-Spongebob

2. White Goodman: Cuz I know you. And you know you. And I know that you know that I know that you know you.
-Dodgeball

3. Captain Amazing: I knew you couldn't change.
Casanova Frankenstein: I knew you'd know that.
Captain Amazing: Oh, I know. And I knew you'd know I'd know you knew.
Casanova Frankenstein: But I didn't. I only knew that you'd know that I knew. Did you know that?
Captain Amazing: *clears throat* ...Of course.
- Mystery Men

4. Zorak: Maybe that's just what they want us to think!
Space Ghost: Hey, you know what? I think that's just what they want us to think!
Zorak: I think, that they think, that we think, that that's just what they want us to think!
Space Ghost: Brak, what do you think?
Brak: I just, I don't even have the slightest idea what you're talking about.
- Cartoon Planet

5. "Yes, but if he knows I know he knows, he may do (X) instead. But what if he knows more than I think he does? He could be acting like he only knows that I know he knows, when in fact he knows that I know he knows I know he knows!"

6. Charlie Brown: Ha! I know what she's got on her mind! Every year she pulls the same trick on me... she jerks the ball away just as I try to kick it... Well, this time I think she has a different idea. I think she's going to try to fool me by not jerking the ball away! This time she knows I know she knows that I know she knows I know what she's going to do... I'm way ahead of her! (Confident, Charlie Brown tries to kick the ball - Lucy jerks it away)
Lucy: I figured you knew that I knew you knew I knew that you knew I knew you knew, so I had to jerk it away!
- Peanuts


Scoring Guide:

1 right - I think you need practice.

2 right - I think you think you're alright.

3 right - I think you think I think you're pretty good.

4 right - I think you want me to think you think you're pretty good.

5 right - I think you know I think you think I think you're good.

6 right - I don't think you think that I don't think that you think I think you don't think you're not good.

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