Brother vs. Sister
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/game-theory-for-parents1
Brother Vs Sister.
Siblings often have rivalry and in their daily lives are involved in Game theory, regardless of the parents’ involvement. Siblings enforce their own game rules, even without an ‘enforcer’ of a parent. They can have conflict and resolve on their own for the most part. The interesting part about sibling dynamic is the repetition of the game. They often face a form of prisoner’s dilemma with each other and the parent, but the outcome is not so simple because of the long term repetition of the game. For example, if a brother and a sister both stole several cookies from the cookie jar, they have several options. The parent knows the cookies are gone, and assumes that one of the kids took them. However, if neither child admits then the parent has no evidence to punish one over other. This would be the best outcome, but is not often so because ‘tattling’ on the other sibling results in the best personal outcome. But if both siblings agree to say that they both did it, they would receive a less personal punishment. It gets tricky because by nature in prisoners dilemma they will tattle because it gets them the best outcome.
In the long term if a sibling takes a fall, it is assumed the next time, the other sibling will take the fall. In theory both of them will work together to have the best outcome. However even long term effects will result in the selfish choice to tattle, and according to Raeburn, all kids are spiteful. They remember, and act out of spite to the other sibling. Furthermore he says all kids place huge importance on what is fair. The ‘fair-ness’ of the outcome of missing cookies need to make sense to the child. This is also parallel to the real world of adults making decisions. Those in power making decisions need to understand the consequences of actions and understand what is ‘fair’ in the long term. Whether is missing cookies or stolen rockets. In general people make the decision that is best for them, whether they are 3 years old or 90 years old. This idea is fundamental to understanding people and how people act in the real world of connectedness.