Applications of Game Theory in Relationships
In the class, we learned about game theory, which concerns with situations in which decision-makers interact with one another, and choose the best strategies that maximize their pay-offs. The game theory can be applied to many various fields from choosing how to target a soccer penalty kick to choosing optimal prices of a product for company that would compete with other companies that produce similar products. The attached article shows that relationships between women and men can be analyzed with game theory as well.
The recent research in the Journal of Theoretical Biology uses game theory to explain how males and female behave strategically towards each other in the mating game. In this theoretical model, scientists assume that the longer the duration of the relationship, the better the quality of each mates. As the courtship becomes longer, each females and males gains positive pay offs of mating with better-suited partner. The study shows that females and males that maintain longer courtship tend to have serious and sincere attitude toward their relationships, thus incrementing the success of relationships and reducing risks of mating with unsuitable person. As a result, a female and a male who wait would gain positive pay offs of becoming harmonious and stable couple and obtaining better understanding of their partners. In this model, both females and males have two choices; to wait and to have immediate mating. When both decide to choose wait, they would be able be reduce the risk of mating “bad” female or male and possibly find their future spouses. Of course, there are always exceptions. Even though there are many other factors that determine the success of relationship besides the duration of the relationship and suitability, the game theory supports the idea that we always should be considerate and patient when creating relationships with others.