The Caveman's Dilemma
In this simulation you play the role of a caveperson who needs to hunt
to provide as much food as possible for your family.
You will be assigned a partner, and you and your partner will
simultaneously decide what to hunt, either deer or chicken.
You will do this a number of times before getting
another partner.
Each time you both choose to hunt deer, you will catch a deer,
which is a large animal worth six meals, which you will divide
evenly between you.
If only one of you chooses to hunt deer it will escape and the deer
hunter will get nothing.
Chickens come in flocks of five, and are each worth one meal.
Whenever you or your hunting partner chooses chicken while the other
chooses deer, you (or they) will catch all five, but if both of you
hunt chicken you will catch two each, and the last one will
escape in the confusion.
Thus depending on what your partner chooses you may get five meals
(you choose chicken and they choose deer),
three meals (you both choose deer), two meals (you both choose chicken)
or nothing (you choose deer and they choose chicken).
Summary of the Payoffs
The following table summarises what you will get in different situations.
For example, if you hunt chicken and your partner hunts chicken, then your "payoff" is 2 meals.
|
Your payoffs
|
|
|
|
You hunt
|
|
|
|
Chicken
|
Deer
|
Your
partner
hunts
|
Chicken
|
2 meals
|
0 meals
|
|
Deer
|
5 meals
|
3 meals
|
The next table shows
what your partner will get in different situations.
For example, if you hunt deer and your partner
hunts chicken, then your partner's payoff is 5 meals.
|
Your partner's payoffs
|
|
|
|
You hunt
|
|
|
|
Chicken
|
Deer
|
Your
partner
hunts
|
Chicken
|
2 meals
|
5 meals
|
|
Deer
|
0 meals
|
3 meals
|
For your convenience,
the next table shows the same information as the above two tables combined. You can look
at this table and find out what happens in any eventuality. For example,
if you hunt chicken and your partner hunts deer, then you get 5 meals and your partner gets 0
meals.
Your payoffs
vs.
Your partner's payoffs
|
|
|
|
You hunt
|
|
|
|
Chicken
|
Deer
|
Your
partner
hunts
|
Chicken
|
You get 2 meals.
Your partner gets 2 meals.
|
You get 0 meals.
Your partner gets 5 meals.
|
|
Deer
|
You get 5 meals.
Your partner gets 0 meals.
|
You get 3 meals.
Your partner gets 3 meals.
|
The Game
Your object is to maximise the amount of food YOU collect. It does not matter
whether this is more or less than your partner.
You will work with all five partners. Each of them follows a simple
strategy in choosing what to hunt. The different partners each have
their own strategy, which they follow throughout the encounter, and
each partner follows their own strategy every time. Recognising their
strategy will help you to maximise your score. Choose what to hunt by clicking on the picture.
Perform the simulation twice, so that you meet all five partners twice.
Fred |
Barney |
Wilma |
Betty |
Homer |
Please enter your name in the box and then press the Continue button.