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MENTAL MODEL · M5834

Stag Hunt

Stag Hunt
DecideHigh supportGame Theory
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

The stag hunt is a game that describes the conflict between safety and social cooperation. It is also known as the assurance game, coordination game, or trust dilemma. Described by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, it is a non-zero-sum game. In this scenario, two hunters go hunting together; they can either hunt a stag or a hare. A stag requires cooperation from both to be caught, while a hare can be caught by one person alone, but the payoff from hunting a stag is greater than that from hunting a hare. One of the main differences between the stag hunt and the prisoner's dilemma is that the punishment when both players do not cooperate is relatively small.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

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The stag hunt is a game that describes the conflict between safety and social cooperation. It is also known as the assurance game, coordination game, or trust dilemma. Described by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, it is a non-zero-sum game. In this scenario, two hunters go hunting together; they can either hunt a stag or a hare.

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Cooperating to hunt a stag yields high payoff but requires mutual trust; hunting a hare alone yields lower payoff but is safe. It embodies the tension between 'risk dominance' and 'payoff dominance' equilibria. The mechanism is a coordination game.

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Source support: Explicit

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    zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8D%B5%E9%B9%BF%E8%B3%BD%E5%B1%80ZH · Explicit
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