Scenario: Rita and Mike have been caught cheating on an examination. They are taken to separate rooms for interrogation. Their payoff matrix is given below. The first outcome listed in each cell is the payoff to the row player, and the second outcome listed is the payoff to the column player.

-Refer to the scenario above.What will likely be the outcome of this game?
A) Mike will confess, while Rita will not confess.
B) Rita will confess, while Mike will not confess.
C) Neither of them will confess.
D) Both of them will confess.

Question

Scenario: Rita and Mike have been caught cheating on an examination. They are taken to separate rooms for interrogation. Their payoff matrix is given below. The first outcome listed in each cell is the payoff to the row player, and the second outcome listed is the payoff to the column player.
 
-Refer to the scenario above.What will likely be the outcome of this game?
A) Mike will confess, while Rita will not confess. 
B) Rita will confess, while Mike will not confess. 
C) Neither of them will confess. 
D) Both of them will confess.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Both players have a dominant strategy to confess, regardless of what the other player does. Confessing gives a payoff of -4, while not confessing gives a payoff of -5, regardless of the other player's choice. Therefore, both players will likely confess.

Scenario: Rita and Mike Have Been Caught Cheating on an Examination