Volunteer's Dilemma
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
A multiplayer game where if at least one person pays a small cost (such as calling the police or fixing a light), everyone benefits; but if no one acts, everyone suffers a great loss. - Nash equilibrium: The larger the group, the higher the probability that each person expects someone else to act, leading to a higher chance that no one acts. - Scaffold role: A game model of diffusion of responsibility. - It is the mathematical version of the bystander effect. In a group of hundreds, asking 'Who can help make a poster?' usually gets no response. The solution is not to make a request to the group, but to assign it point-to-point ('@someone, can you make a poster?').
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
A game model of diffusion of responsibility. - It is the mathematical version of the bystander effect. In a group of hundreds, asking 'Who can help make a poster?' usually gets no response. The solution is not to make a request to the group, but to assign it point-to-point ('@someone, can you make a poster?').
Anchor fast decisions
Volunteer's Dilemma: In a group, at least one person must bear a cost to provide a public good (such as calling the police or donating blood). If someone volunteers, everyone benefits, but if everyone waits for someone else to act, the collective suffers. It lies between the tragedy of the commons and coordination games.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/4Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BF%97%E6%84%BF%E8%80%85%E5%9B%B0%E5%A2%83verified
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