Quantum-Like Model Explains Contextual Decision Making

This research explores the phenomenon of context-dependent decision-making, which often challenges traditional classical probability theory. The paper introduces a quantum-like extension of the Tug-of-War (QTOW) decision model, aiming to demonstrate how such context dependence can be represented using a single, minimal internal state. This QTOW construction employs a qutrit internal state, along with conservation-preserving updates and measurement-induced disturbance, to model decision, learning, and probing operations within a coherent state space. The core assertion is that while classical reconstructions of similar operational families would necessitate additional contextual memory, history dependence, or an expanded hidden-state representation, the quantum-like approach provides a more compact and memory-efficient realization. Thus, contextual probability emerges as a signature of minimal decision dynamics, with quantum probability offering an elegant solution for this structural complexity. The paper clarifies that it does not uniquely derive quantum theory from decision-making but rather highlights its efficiency in modeling contextuality.