Question

Provide an example of a mixed / motive / conflict situation and classify e.g social dilemma

Answer 1

A mixed motive approach is a combination of collaboration as well as conflict to attain a result which is satisfactory to both. The result will be either winning or come to a deal.

Prisoner's dilemma is one of the Social dilemma in the mixed motive approach. This conflict should be carried out with cooperativeness as well as competition. Let us take the situation of a Prisoner's dilemma.

Two people were arrested for committing a serious crime offense. But there is no due evidence for the same. Only a small evidence is there for proving that the offence which have been committed is minor. The police wants to prove the case. Thus they called the district attorney to talk with both of the criminals separately. The attorney provided the criminals with two options. Either confess the crime or not. The conflict arising here is;

• If both of the criminals did not confess, they will be charged and punished for the minor offense.
• If both of them conffesses, then both of them will get punishment for committing serious crime.
• If only one of them confesses and the other did not confess, then the situation will become different. The culprit who confessed will get a minimum level of punishment as a reward. But in case the other one, he will get the double punishment for committing the serious crime.

Here the dilemma is one criminal does not know what the other one will tell. The situation is quite difficult. The mutual benefit to both of them is not to make the confession so that the punishment will be light. But, there is a chance where each of the criminal may try to betray the other to reduce their individual level of punishment. But, there also a risk exists, ie; if the other person also confess, they both will get punished for the serious offense.

Here, what works is the thinking level of each prisoner. The final decision will also be on the basis of that. It may either a winning or making a deal with each other.