Prisoner's Dilemma

Prisoner's Dilemma
A paradigmatic instance in game theory , which takes its name from a story of two prisoners, who are interrogated separately and cannot communicate with each other. There is insufficient evidence for the police to convict either prisoner of armed robbery, so that unless they confess, each will receive a relatively light sentence of one year's imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms. The prosecuting authorities offer each prisoner a deal, whereby they may confess and turn state's witness against the other prisoner (putting him away for ten years), while they themselves will be set free. The catch is that, if both prisoners confess, each will be convicted of armed robbery and sent to jail for six years. The dilemma facing the individual prisoner is whether or not to confess. The self-interested prisoner is better off confessing, no matter what his partner does, since if both prisoners see the issue in this way they will each spend a maximum of six years in jail. If, on the other hand, each could be sure that the other would act in the group interest (rather than pursuing self-interest), both would hold out, and each spend only a year in jail. The worst possible outcome would be to act in pursuit of the group interest while one's partner acted self-interestedly-since ten years in jail would be the result. The case of the Prisoner's Dilemma is commonly used to illustrate the dangers of committing the fallacy of composition and to explore the conditions of collective action . See also altruism.

Dictionary of sociology. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • prisoner's dilemma — n. in game theory, a situation in which, if each of the individuals involved chooses the most rational option for gaining his or her own ends, the least desirable outcome for all will necessarily result * * * Imaginary situation employed in game… …   Universalium

  • prisoner's dilemma — n. in game theory, a situation in which, if each of the individuals involved chooses the most rational option for gaining his or her own ends, the least desirable outcome for all will necessarily result …   English World dictionary

  • Prisoner's dilemma — This article is about game theory. For the 1988 novel, see Prisoner s Dilemma (novel). For the Doctor Who audiobook, see The Prisoner s Dilemma. For the 2001 play, see The Prisoner s Dilemma (play). The prisoner’s dilemma is a canonical example… …   Wikipedia

  • Prisoner's Dilemma — A paradox in decision analysis in which two individuals acting in their own best interest pursue a course of action that does not result in the ideal outcome. The typical prisoner’s dilemma is set up in such a way that both parties choose… …   Investment dictionary

  • prisoner’s dilemma — A branch of *game theory that systematically analyzes strategies for the optimal selection of alternative courses of action in competitive conditions. The prisoner’s dilemma focuses on the complexities of making competitive choices. In a… …   Auditor's dictionary

  • Prisoner's Dilemma (novel) — Infobox Book | name = Prisoner s Dilemma title orig = image caption = Cover of a reprint edition. author = Richard Powers illustrator = cover artist = country = United States language = English genre = Novel publisher = Beech Tree Books release… …   Wikipedia

  • Prisoner's dilemma — Das Gefangenendilemma ist ein Paradoxon, das zentraler Bestandteil der Spieltheorie ist. Es ist nicht zu verwechseln mit dem Gefangenenparadoxon über bedingte Wahrscheinlichkeiten. Bei dem Dilemma handelt es sich um ein klassisches symmetrisches… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • prisoner's dilemma — noun (in game theory) a situation in which two players each have two options whose outcome depends crucially on the other s simultaneous choice, exemplified by two prisoners separately deciding whether to confess to a crime …   English new terms dictionary

  • prisoner's dilemma — …   Useful english dictionary

  • Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma — A normal prisoner’s dilemma played repeatedly by the same participants. An iterated prisoner’s dilemma differs from the original concept of a prisoner’s dilemma because participants can learn about the behavioral tendencies of… …   Investment dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”