A Game Theoretic Analysis of Leaving the Toilet Seat Down

Hammad Siddiqi:

In this paper, we internalize the cost of yelling and model the conflict as a non-cooperative game between two species, males and females.We find that the social norm of leaving the toilet seat down is inefficient. However, to our dismay, we also find that the social norm of always leaving the toilet seat down after use is not only a Nash equilibrium in pure strategies but is also trembling-hand perfect. So, we can complain all we like, but this norm is not likely to go away.

Believe it or not, I actually did a similar analysis for a homework assignment in Bryan Caplan's class when we studied game theory last year.

(HT the evangelical outpost)