Question

What is the difference between a tit-for-tat strategy and a trigger strategy?

Answer 1

Tit for tat is a tactic that can be used in multi-move games or a sequence of similar games. The idea centers around game theory, an economic paradigm that describes how individuals in competitive environments communicate with each other. There are two kinds of theory of games: cooperative theory of games and uncooperative theory of games. Cooperative game theory requires the collaboration and cooperation of players in order to achieve the best result. The theory of non-cooperative games does not include any agreements or collaboration between opponents.

Tit for tat claims that if an individual cooperates with another person, a person is more effective. A tit-for-tat strategy is applied when one agent cooperates in the very first encounter with another agent and then mimics their subsequent actions. This strategy is based on the principles of altruism and revenge. In the event of a dispute, a person cooperates when another participant has an established history of cooperation and defaults when the counterparty has defaulted previously.

A trigger strategy is one of a series of strategies used in a recurring non-cooperative game in game theory. Originally, a player using a trigger strategy cooperates but punishes the opponent if a certain amount of defection is detected (i.e. the trigger). The level of punishment and the trigger's sensitivity differ from one trigger to another.