Two teenagers are driving towards each other on a straight road, with an apparent show of courage to prove who can stay longer before turning off. Each teen’s expectation is to stay straight for the longest time and force the other person to swerve. The winner shines as the rebel, and the loser becomes the chicken!
Assume A and B are playing, and you can imagine four possible outcomes. 1) A chickens, 2) B chickens, 3) both chickens and 4) they collide head-on (and possibly die!). What are their payoffs? Let’s write down some, based on assumed reasons why they play this game in the first place – teen energy, naivety, happiness, pride, girls (the stereotypes, you see).
| Player A | |||
| Player A Stays | Player A Chickens | ||
| Player B | Player B Stays | A =-INF; B = -INF | A = -100; B = +100 |
| Player B Chickens | A = +100; B = -100 | A = 0; B = 0 |
If player A stays and player B chickens, A gets +100, mainly in happiness, pride, etc., whereas B gets -100 (in shame!). The exact opposite happens when the fortunes are reversed.
Let’s understand the chances from player A’s point of view. If Player B stays, A can either stay (-INF) or turn away (-100), turning off and giving a better payoff. If B turns away, A can stay (+100) or move off (0). Unlike the case with the prisoner’s dilemma, the choice for A is not unique.
Given all the possibilities, what is an optimum strategy for both players? Both are courageous and stubborn. Assume player A knows B and also knows player B knows player A. It means they both try for maximum returns, but continuing the status quo will be fatal. So, there must be an exit strategy each of them must hold– to swerve away from the other, but at the last possible moment.
In my opinion, the best option that minimises the shame and, at the same time, prevents death is when both players turn off a second before the crash!
