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Critique and comment. Prisoner's Dilemma: Metagames and other solutions
Author(s) -
Robinson Mike
Publication year - 1975
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.3830200308
Subject(s) - rationality , prisoner's dilemma , dilemma , mathematical economics , superrationality , irrational number , order (exchange) , game theory , economics , positive economics , computer science , epistemology , philosophy , mathematics , geometry , finance
Metagame theory does not solve the paradox of rationality, i.e., both players do better if both play irrationally, generated by prisoner's dilemma games under the assumption of individual rationality. There is a further metagame generated by each player's need to optimize. This is that if either player convinces the other to cooperate by metagames or other means, he can do better by defecting. This higher order metagame is isomorphic with the base game, and the original irrational equilibrium is regenerated.