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Sajjad1994
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Sajjad1994
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Apt0810 logically answered the correct answer. However, based on the answer choices provided, that will be wrong

There is no mention of confessing or refusing to confess one's own stealing from the passage. Hence the below are incorrect for both columns:
- "Confess that both P and Q stole"
- "Confess only that P stole"
- "Refuse to confess that P stole"

Between the remaining "Confess only that Q stole" & "Refuse to confess that Q stole"
The correct answers are these:
(1): Confess only that Q stole
(2): Refuse to confess that Q stole
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Sorry to revive this topic... but I'm quite confused in the solution to part (2)


"select ... the action that, if Q discovered P were intending to take it, would lead Q to refuse to confess"

Everyone above says the answer is "Refuse to confess that Q stole"

That would mean the following statement is true:

If Q discovered that P were intending to [Refuse to confess that Q stole], then Q would refuse to confess

But if Q knows that P is going to refuse to confess, then Q's options are:
1) Refuse to confess -> Both P & Q refuse leads to both losing toy for 1 day
2) Confess -> Q Confesses, P refuses leads to Q getting toy immediately and P losing toy for 7 days

Since the problem specifies that "Both P and Q want only to maximize their own play time with their favorite toy," that means Q doesn't mind that P loses their toy for 7 days. Q only cares about minimizing their own punishment. So if P refuses to confess, wouldn't Q's best path be to confess to get the toy immediately?

What am I missing in the above solution?

Similarly, if Q knows that P is going to confess, then Q's options are:
1) Refuse to confess -> Q loses toy for 7 days, P gets toy immediately
2) Confess -> Both confess, Q & P both lose toy for 3 days

In this situation, Q's best path is still to Confess, to minimize the number of days without their toy (3 days instead of 7 days)

I'm stuck, because in both cases it seems like Q's best path is always to Confess, but the problem asks for when will Q decide their best path is to refuse to confess
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