The Prisoner’s Dilemma: what is it and why should you care?

Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. And then there are the “in-between” instances.

The “prisoner’s dilemma” explains those situations.

The prisoner’s dilemma is a game theory concept that helps to explain why people sometimes cooperate even when it might be more beneficial for them to cheat. The prisoner’s dilemma is often used to discuss whether or not people will cooperate in order to achieve a mutual benefit, or if they will instead choose to act in their own self-interest.

The prisoner’s dilemma explains human behavior.

When we cannot communicate with other participants, we are left with our assumptions. We are left thinking that the other person is going to pursue his own interests. Therefore, we must decide whether to pursue the most ideal course or to pursue the most likely course.

The benefits and drawbacks of cooperating and cheating in a prisoner’s dilemma scenario:

The benefits of cooperating is that you and the other participants will realize the ideal situation. For example, all countries cooperate and remove their nuclear arms. The drawback of cooperating is that others may only say they’ll cooperate, but not really.

“Cheating” is placing your interests first (at the expense of others). There are clear incentives to “cheating.” But the cheater will not realize their ideal situation. The worst-case scenario is unlikely to happen because all parties will pursue their interests.

What do you think is the best strategy in a prisoner’s dilemma situation — cooperate or cheat?

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