In the Prisoner’s Dilemma, whatever choice the other guy makes, the payoff for you is to always
[ Select ]
Cooperate
Defect

Question

In the Prisoner’s Dilemma, whatever choice the other guy makes, the payoff for you is to always 
[ Select ]
Cooperate
Defect

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In this question, we are considering the classic Prisoner's Dilemma and the prompt asks you to fill in the blank: 'In the Prisoner’s Dilemma, whatever choice the other guy makes, the payoff for you is to always [Select] Cooperate Defect.'

Option: Cooperate
- If the other player cooperates, choosing to cooperate yields a moderate reward, while defecting would typically yield a higher payoff for you if the matrix is standard (e.g., you get the same or more by defecting). However, the key point in the dilemma is that your best reply, given the other player’s possible actions, is not to rely on cooperation alone. Cooperation can be exploited by a defecting partner, reducing trust and mutual benefit. So 'Cooperate' is not the dominant strategy that guarantees the highest payoff regardless of the other player's move.

Option: Defect
- If the other player cooperates, defecting gives you the highest individual payoff (you capitalize on their cooperation). If the other player defects, defecting still gives you a payoff that is at least as good as, and usually better than, cooperating. This makes 'Defect' the dominant strategy: it yields the best or equal-best outcome regardless of the opponent’s action. From a game-theoretic standpoint, this is why the Nash equilibrium of the Prisoner’s Dilemma is Defect-Defect.

Why Defect is the correct understanding here: the phrase 'whatever choice the other guy makes' points to a strategy that does not depend on the other player's action, i.e., a dominant strategy. In the standard payoff structure, defecting dominates cooperating because it provides protection against the risk of being exploited and still offers a higher payoff if the other player cooperates. Therefore, the payoff for you is to always Defect in this framing.

Why Cooperate is not the right universal move: while cooperating might lead to mutual benefit if both players choose it, it is not robust to the possibility that the other player defects. If you always cooperate while the other defects, you end up with the worst payoff for yourself, creating an incentive to defect as well. The dilemma hinges on this tension between short-term individual gain and protection against exploitation, which is why cooperation is not the universal best response in the standard setup.

In sum, the reasoning reflects the core concept of the Prisoner’s Dilemma: Defect is the dominant strategy, providing the best payoff across possible actions by the other player, whereas Cooperation cannot guarantee a better outcome in all cases and is therefore not the universally optimal response.

ANTH 1050-090 Fall 2025 Exam 2

In the Prisoner’s Dilemma, whatever choice the other guy makes, the payoff for you is to always [ Select ] Cooperate Defect

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