Attempting to explain one's own behavior situationally characterizes

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Both the Prisoner's Dilemma and the Tragedy of the Commons involve situations where individuals make decisions that are in their own best interests, but which can lead to negative consequences for the group as a whole. In the Prisoner's Dilemma, two individuals are each given the choice of cooperating or defecting. If both individuals cooperate, they both receive a small reward. If both individuals defect, they both receive a small punishment. However, if one individual cooperates and the other defects, the defector receives a large reward and the cooperator receives a large punishment. This situation leads to a dilemma, as each individual is tempted to defect in order to maximize their own reward, even though this can lead to a worse outcome for both individuals. In the Tragedy of the Commons, a group of individuals are each given the right to use a common resource. Each individual is tempted to use the resource as much as possible in order to maximize their own benefit, even though this can lead to the depletion of the resource and a worse outcome for the group as a whole.

Attempting to Explain One's Own Behavior Situationally Characterizes