Question

Suppose there are two small island countries: Avarice, which is populated by people who are completely self-interested, and Altruism, which is populated by people who have adopted social norms of generosity and cooperation. Suppose residents of each island often play prisoner's dilemma games, always matched with a person from the same island, but not a person who they know or will play with again. If the same number of games is played on each island, you would expect:

Answer 1

Resident behaviors in prisoner's dilemma games will differ between the two islands; Altruism is likely to have more cooperation, while Avarice may see more self-interested decisions, resulting in better collective outcomes for Altruism.

Step-by-step explanation:

The prisoner's dilemma is a classic example of game theory that illustrates the potential benefits of cooperation versus pursuing individual self-interest. In the scenario described, residents of Avarice, who are completely self-interested, are more likely to betray one another when playing the prisoner's dilemma, as they prioritize their own benefit over that of the group. On the other hand, residents of Altruism, with a culture of generosity and cooperation, are more likely to cooperate, expecting others to do the same. This behavior aligns with social norms established within their island community. Therefore, you would expect to see a higher degree of cooperative behavior on Altruism than on Avarice, leading to better collective outcomes for residents of Altruism when engaging in prisoner's dilemma games.

Answer 2

Largely avoided in Altruism, but prevalent in Avarice.

Step-by-step explanation:

The people in Altruism have adopted habits of each other and are following social norms. The people in Avarice are self interested and they do not cooperate with each other. They are not concerned about their social norms. The game will be largely avoided in Altruism.