The Effect of Defection in Maximizing Group Benefit

Abstract

A variety of social dilemma scenarios are studied within the context of the prisoner's dilemma, one of the most well-known concepts in modern game theory, and its variants. In the prisoner's dilemma, studies typically emphasize the priority of maximizing the gain of each individual. In this paper, however, we focus on maximizing the benefit of the larger group, not each individual. It is worth noting that regardless of individual strategies in the prisoner's dilemma, there is always a certain level of defection. These individual defections can be analyzed in a collective group setting from the perspective of game theory. We look into how much defection is required, if necessary, in order to optimize a group's advantages, and analytically identify the specific effects of defection for the purpose of maximizing group benefit.