Kenneth Oye, a political scientist currently at MIT, writes about cooperation in world politics.
He discusses payoffs: in some situations, certain actions are preferable to others. He says that cooperation should be considered when mutual cooperation is preferable to mutual defection and unilateral defection is preferable to unrequited cooperation. He uses the games of Prisoners' Dilemma, Stag Hunt, and Chicken as examples in which cooperation is necessary. The possibility of cooperation is affected by the payoff.
Cooperation is less likely in prisoner's dilemma, because unilateral defection is preferable, but may lead to a worse outcome. Cooperation is in everyone's interest in Stag Hunt, as it is preferable to defection. In Chicken, defection is preferable, but it can be better to cooperate because of the dangers involved.
Changes in the payoff can alter the possibility of cooperation, and can even change the game.
Most of Oye's writing is very theoretical and technical. However, he discusses the idea of the "shadow of the future." Iterated conditions increase the chance for cooperation in PD and SH, but decrease the chance in Chicken, because iteration makes a reputation for reliability a concern. He says that reciprocity increases the possibility of cooperation, although only with complete unambiguity and transparency. A greater number of players decreases the possibility of cooperation, for a number of reasons. Reducing the number of significant players greatly increases the chance of cooperation.
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He discusses payoffs: in some situations, certain actions are preferable to others. He says that cooperation should be considered when mutual cooperation is preferable to mutual defection and unilateral defection is preferable to unrequited cooperation. He uses the games of Prisoners' Dilemma, Stag Hunt, and Chicken as examples in which cooperation is necessary. The possibility of cooperation is affected by the payoff.
Cooperation is less likely in prisoner's dilemma, because unilateral defection is preferable, but may lead to a worse outcome. Cooperation is in everyone's interest in Stag Hunt, as it is preferable to defection. In Chicken, defection is preferable, but it can be better to cooperate because of the dangers involved.
Changes in the payoff can alter the possibility of cooperation, and can even change the game.
Most of Oye's writing is very theoretical and technical. However, he discusses the idea of the "shadow of the future." Iterated conditions increase the chance for cooperation in PD and SH, but decrease the chance in Chicken, because iteration makes a reputation for reliability a concern. He says that reciprocity increases the possibility of cooperation, although only with complete unambiguity and transparency. A greater number of players decreases the possibility of cooperation, for a number of reasons. Reducing the number of significant players greatly increases the chance of cooperation.
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