Project · Model a real strategic interaction as a normal-form game

Hints

• Pick a situation small enough to fit in a 2x2 or 3x3 matrix. Resist the urge to model everything.
• Payoffs don't have to be dollars. "Reputation units" or "1–10 satisfaction" are fine as long as you state the scale.
• If you can't decide a number, pick two plausible values and see if the prediction changes. Robustness is information.

Expected output

A document that opens with a paragraph like:

The situation: my partner and I are deciding whether to commit to
a shared lease for 12 months or stay on a month-to-month rolling
basis. We act simultaneously — the landlord wants a joint decision
by Friday. Players: me (P1), partner (P2). Strategies: {Commit, Roll}.
Payoffs (in rough "life stability minus flexibility" units, where
higher is better):

…followed by the matrix, the analysis, and the "if wrong" paragraph.

Stretch goals

• Add a third strategy ("renegotiate terms") and see whether it's dominated.
• Re-do the analysis assuming players choose sequentially, not simultaneously. What changes?
• Swap "life stability" for "expected monetary value." Does the predicted outcome change? What does that tell you about the choice of payoff units?