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aybala50's picture

Competition

When I played the prisoners dilemma I started out competing every turn and I won. Then I got curious as to what would happen if I started cooperating and I won again. Then I started mixing it up and still kept winning. At this point I was getting bored as I didn't realize a pattern because no matter what I did I kept winning! After reading some of the postings I realize that I missed the meaning of Prisoner's Dilemma completely. The reading for today was also very helpful. If I chose to compete, the computer would compete with me the next turn. It would copy my move the next turn, so if I compete the whole time I win. If I cooperate the whole time I should end evenly with the computer and if I mix it up, that's when there's a chance I could possibly lose. 

 An example of a Prisoner's Dilemma in my life? I'm not exactly sure as I can't really think of a clear one. The obvious one that pops into my head is the competition amongst the students, especially in one's major department. I would love to be the best student in the psychology department, but at the same time I need the other psychology major's around me. If we help each other there's a better chance we will grow in our field, but at the same time there's always a competition to be the best. So, is it more important that I compete with them and stand alone, or is it better for me to cooperate and all of us growing together?  

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