Cracking the Code: Game Theory's Solution to Bullying

A study from Dartmouth, published in PNAS Nexus, has used game theory to develop "unbending strategies" to counter bullies and extortionists. The study found that when faced with an unbending player, the best response for an extortionist is to offer a fair split, promoting fairness and cooperation. Weaker parties are advised to be unbending and resist compromising first, transforming the interaction into an ultimatum game that incentivizes extortionists to be fairer and more cooperative.