When the prisoners' dilemma game is generalized to describe situations other than those that literally involve two prisoners, we see that cooperation between the players of the game
A)can be difficult to maintain, but only when cooperation would make at least one of the players of the game worse off.
B)can be difficult to maintain, even when cooperation would make both players of the game better off.
C)always works to the benefit of society as a whole.
D)always works to the detriment of society as a whole.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The prisoners' dilemma game is often used to analyze situations involving two parties who must make the choice between cooperation or betrayal. However, when generalized to apply to other settings, we see that cooperation can be difficult to maintain even when it would benefit both parties. This is because each player is incentivized to prioritize their individual gain over the collective gain, leading to a lack of trust and collaboration. Therefore, option B is the best choice. Option A only applies in situations where cooperation would make at least one player worse off, while option C and D are both extreme and do not reflect the complexities of real-life scenarios.

When the Prisoners' Dilemma Game Is Generalized to Describe Situations