In a prisoners' dilemma decision that is made only one time,

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In a one-time prisoners' dilemma, the Nash equilibrium results in a non-cooperative outcome because each player's best strategy leads to a situation where both could have been better off by cooperating (A). There is indeed a set of decisions (cooperative decisions) that would be better for each participant than the Nash equilibrium decisions, but the incentive to defect makes this hard to achieve without enforceable agreements (B). The discount rate is irrelevant because the decision is made only once, and future payoffs or punishments are not considered (C). Since the game is played only once, there is no mechanism for rivals to punish cheaters in future rounds, making defection more likely (D).

In a Prisoners' Dilemma Decision That Is Made Only One