In improv acting we explicitly learn how status transactions work. Note that "status" in this context means something slightly different: http://greenlightwiki.com/improv/Status
Understanding status changed how I fundamentally view interactions. I've wanted to submit (or even write) something on this for HN, but I haven't figured an angle to do it from.
Yes, it seems like improv, is really good at emphasizing and making explicit human interactions. This might be applicable to AI agent research and design.
Yeah, the first AI would pass the Turing test by insulting the researchers. :)
But seriously, depending on what you mean by AI (general or narrow), you're right. If it was interacting in a realistic social way with humans, it'd have to understand "status".
Actually, I know of some people working on AGI that are aware of the "status" concept. Although they seem to conflate the improv meaning with general social status. On Less Wrong.com they talk about it from time to time.
A lot here are from SF. It's an improv hub. BATS Improv has classes, and I highly recommend them for really anyone. But specifically "nerds" would immensely benefit.
Improv basically teaches you to be relentlessly prosocial. You learn what an interesting social interaction (or scene) looks like. You learn conversation and organization skills; how to lead, how to follow, how to work on teams, how to speak. It's all roleplaying.
Actually, you learn the gist of what they would teach your in the "seduction community". Those are more specialized skills. But there's no social stigma attached. And that's not a knock on them either.
If you've ever laughed at improv being performed, it is nothing like the rush of performing improv, especially when it's not done well.
One of the more clever and disturbing ways to gain 'power' over an individual is to play the student in the master-student role. E.g. by having them teach you something - which is doing you a favor, you can gain their favor.
Roleplaying as a "student" is playing a low status role, to the high status role of "teacher". In that instance you get what you want by playing low. But in another situation you might play high (for another to play low) to get what you want. You could bark orders at someone, and if they follow through they played low to your high. Of course, if this was a serious and non-consensual interaction it'd wear on the players after a while. Improv, since it's fundamentally about roleplaying, parallels BDSM.
Having a boss who was too serious about his high status role would suck, for instance. The fun ones are the ones who joke about their role.
Interesting read, thanks for sharing. While the context of this info is in improv acting, do you find the same status transformations applying to day-to-day life?
Has anyone used "status transformations" to their advantage in a real-world transaction? (haggling over the price of a car, for example). Personally, I don't think I could really alter my innate behaviour to achieve any sort of social advantage, but in the end this sort of information was useful for me to reflect on my interactions with others in my life.
Oh, absolutely. Altering "status" is something people do all the time to get what they want, albeit mostly unconsciously. Here's an improvisers view of the mechanics behind making a sale: http://biz-improv.com/wordpress/?p=22
I have a bunch of web resources (on improv) pertaining to status transactions. Feel free to email me, everyone.
That was already quite interesting to read out of context, but I'd definitely look forward to something you've written about it for an audience more like this one.
(Yeah, you did. ;)) And as an aside I think that upvoting and downvoting in practice becomes mostly about status raising or lowering. Subconsciously it's about the gain or loss of prestige of a comment (and person).
Also, it's interesting to read (HN) headlines with status transactions in mind. When reading a headline ask yourself, who got lowered? Who was raised? Take Microsoft takes a loss to Firefox The obvious thing is FF>MS, but who else is lowered or raised?
Understanding status changed how I fundamentally view interactions. I've wanted to submit (or even write) something on this for HN, but I haven't figured an angle to do it from.