KIANA KAZEMI

Abstract:

Human decision-making is largely highlighted by the field of behavioral game theory, however, little research has been done in the field to compare adults' and teenagers' decision-making in game theory scenarios. 146 participants (101 adults, 45 teenagers) from Allegheny County were surveyed and asked what their decision would be in the Prisoner's Dilemma and how much certain decision-making factors influenced their decision. Results showed that there is no significant relationship between age group and rational decision-making. Additionally, it was found that "fairness" guided adult decision-making the most while "trust" guided teenage decision-making the most. Such results point towards little to no difference between adults' and teenagers' rationality, but it is clear that the two age groups are guided by different decision-making factors within the Prisoner's Dilemma.