UPSC Prelims 2008·GS1·polity-and-governance·social justice and international relations

The term “Prisoner’s Dilemma” is associated with which one of the following?

Dalvoy logo
Reviewed by Dalvoy
UPSC Civil Services preparation
Last updated 8 Jul 2026, 4:39 pm IST
  1. AA technique in glass manufacture
  2. BA term used in shipping industry
  3. CA situation under the Game TheoryCorrect
  4. DName of a supercomputer

Explanation

The Prisoner's Dilemma is a fundamental concept in Game Theory. It describes a paradox in decision-making where two rational individuals, acting in their own self-interest, end up with a worse outcome than if they had cooperated.

In this scenario, two prisoners are interrogated separately. If both remain silent, they get light sentences. If one betrays the other while the other stays silent, the betrayer goes free while the silent one gets a heavy sentence. If both betray each other, they both get moderate sentences. Because neither can trust the other to stay silent, they both choose to betray, resulting in a suboptimal outcome for both. This model is widely used in economics, political science, and international relations to analyze strategic interactions.

polity-and-governance: The term “Prisoner’s Dilemma” is associated with which one of the following?
ShareWhatsAppXTelegram

Related questions

More UPSC Prelims practice from the same subject and topic.