Science reveals the secret to winning the game of rock-paper-scissors.

Research by a group of international scientists shows that when playing rock-paper-scissors, people tend to let emotions interfere and not act rationally.

In findings published on February 6 in the journal Scientific Reports, scientists observed how players reacted throughout the game when facing virtual opponents on a computer. They found that even with a good strategy at the beginning, players were still influenced by the outcome of each round and began to act erratically, according to the study.International Business Times.

Emotions greatly influence players' choices each time they play rock-paper-scissors. Photo: Inquisitr.

By analyzing players' reactions at different stages of the game, the research team found they acted according to a strategy called "win-follow-loss," meaning players would repeat the results of previous wins.

If a player draws or loses, they will change their choice in the next round. A negative losing experience will certainly lead them to choose a lower level. For example, if they lose when they draw a hammer, they will choose scissors next time, an object that can be destroyed by a rock. Conversely, if the player draws with the computer, the chances of upgrading in the next round will be higher.

Because all three options are relative, leading to a win in one round but a loss in another, scientists concluded that the only rational decision was to use each option an equal number of times randomly. This is essentially a program written for a virtual player on a computer.

However, in this study, players tended to play the hammer more often. Since the card beats the hammer, consistently playing the card in this situation can help players win.

Because the research sheds light on decision-making processes in non-cooperative environments, researchers believe that individual, emotional behaviors are quite common in the economic and political spheres.

According to VNE