The Prisoner’s Dilemma

When self-interest backfires

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• A dominant strategy is best no matter what others do.
• Prisoner’s dilemma: everyone defecting is individually rational but collectively bad.
• Changing the payoffs (laws, contracts, reputation) can make cooperation rational.

Steps

1. Two suspects
2. The dilemma
3. Spot the dilemma
4. Free riding
5. Fine the defectors
6. Changing the game