Suppose that each of two prisoners has the independent choice of confessing to a crime or not confessing to a crime they were both alleged to commit. If neither confesses, both spend two years in prison; if both confess, both spend three years in prison. If one confesses and the other does not, the confessor gets off with one year but the other gets six years. According to game theory, the likely strategy of the prisoners is that:
A) both will confess.
B) neither will confess.
C) one will confess and the other will not.
D) both may or may not confess.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Both prisoners will confess because it is the strategy that minimizes their maximum possible sentence.

Suppose That Each of Two Prisoners Has the Independent Choice