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Are “trivial” games the most interesting psychologically?
Author(s) -
Marwell Gerald,
Schmitt David R.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 0005-7940
DOI - 10.1002/bs.3830130204
Subject(s) - outcome (game theory) , variety (cybernetics) , dilemma , psychology , prisoner's dilemma , social psychology , mathematical economics , epistemology , computer science , mathematics , artificial intelligence , philosophy
In recent discussions of the variety of 2 × 2 games, those in which the same outcome is preferred by both players, so that there is no conflict of interest, have been defined as “trivial” and of lesser “psychological interest” than those nonzero‐sum games in which there remains some conflict of interest. An example of the latter type of game is the well‐known Prisoner's Dilemma. The opposite position, that trivial games are the most interesting psychologically, is advanced here. The results of research with nontrivial games are much more difficult to interpret unambiguously. Examples are given to indicate how trivial games may be used to demonstrate the importance of motives, such as a desire to maximize differences, a desire to reduce inequity of payoffs, and a desire to be altruistic.