Many daily situations involve settings where choosing the "socially irresponsible" or "rude" strategy is dominant. Examples include talking in class, talking in a theater, cheating on tests and homework, doing your children's homework, running from a burning building rather than walking, slowing down to look at highway accidents.... and on and on.

What can be done? In many cases there is little or nothing that can be done without some outside effort. In the trash game efforts have been being made, with some success, for decades to change the payoff matrix through public service ads.

In some situations the attempt is made to change how individuals view the "cooperative" behavior so that they will take pride in enganging in recycling, earning an honest grade, letting their childern earn honest grades.. etc. If individuals can be encouraged to view the cooperative behavior as something in which they can take personal pride the payoff matrix may change.

Copyright © 1995-2004 OnLineTexts.com, Inc. - All Rights Reserved