A prisoner’s dilemma is a game with all of the following characteristics except one. Which one is present in a prisoner’s dilemma? A. Players cooperate in arriving at their strategies. B. Both players have a dominant strategy. C. Both players would be better off if neither chose their dominant strategy.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is A. Players cooperate in arriving at their strategies.
Explanation:
A Prisoner’s Dilemma is a classic concept in game theory that demonstrates why two rational individuals might not cooperate, even if it appears that cooperation would be in their best interest.
Let’s analyze each option to see which one is true for a prisoner’s dilemma and which is not:
A. Players cooperate in arriving at their strategies.
This is not true in the Prisoner’s Dilemma. By definition, the players do not cooperate; instead, they make decisions independently and simultaneously without trusting the other to cooperate. The dilemma arises precisely because both players face an incentive to defect (betray the other) rather than cooperate, despite mutual cooperation being better overall.
B. Both players have a dominant strategy.
This is true. A dominant strategy is one that yields a better outcome for a player regardless of what the other player does. In the Prisoner’s Dilemma, both players have a dominant strategy to betray (defect) the other. Betraying always gives a better payoff whether the other player cooperates or defects.
C. Both players would be better off if neither chose their dominant strategy.
This is also true. If both players chose to cooperate (i.e., neither uses their dominant strategy to defect), they both get a better collective payoff than if they both defect. However, due to lack of trust and incentives, they often end up defecting, leading to a worse outcome for both.
Summary:
- The key feature of the Prisoner’s Dilemma is that players act non-cooperatively despite the fact that cooperation would improve their collective outcomes.
- Both players have a dominant strategy to defect.
- Mutual cooperation would lead to a better outcome, but the dilemma ensures they usually do not cooperate.
So the statement that players cooperate in arriving at their strategies is not present in the Prisoner’s Dilemma, making A the correct answer.