Miami University Alumni Association

Miami Presents Alumni Weekend: Sport Economics - Using the Prisoner’s Dilemma to Understand Competitive Behavior (SLAM)

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We're excited to bring all the tradition and excitement of Alumni Weekend right to your device! You don’t have to be on campus to experience all the Love and Honor with our virtual Alumni College offerings.

In the final week of the 2021 NFL regular season, the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders faced a unique situation. If both teams mutually agreed to play for a tie, it would be ensured both teams made the NFL playoffs. However, neither team choose to cooperate and the Raiders won the game with a last second field goal, thus preventing the Chargers from making the NFL playoffs. The problem surrounding whether the two teams chose to cooperate can be explained by the principle of the prisoner's dilemma, where two individuals (or teams of individuals), acting in their own best interest, are drawn to make a decision that does not necessarily result in the best outcome for either party. In this class, we'll use video clips from a popular British television show and a classic game theory exercise to demonstrate the concept of the prisoner’s dilemma. We’ll then reflect on how heuristics influence decision-making in the context of business, sport, and everyday life.

Dr. Adam S. Beissel is an Assistant Professor of Sport Leadership and Management (SLAM) at Miami University. Prior to joining Miami in 2017, Adam previously held a position on the faculty of the Physical Cultural Studies program at the University of Maryland – College Park. He earned a BS in Sport Management from Towson University, an MBA from University of Baltimore/Towson University, and a PhD in Sport Studies from the University of Otago (New Zealand). 

The presentation is free to watch online, but registration is required. 
See all Alumni College virtual events.
Please reach out to alumniweekend@miamioh.edu with any questions.