In a game where two players can choose either to cooperate or defect, which of the following scenarios illustrates a dominant strategy for both players?

In game theory, a dominant strategy is a choice that is best for a player regardless of what the other player decides. For both players to have a dominant strategy, their best option must be to defect, meaning they choose not to cooperate. For example, imagine two players can either share a reward or keep it all for themselves. If both players know that they will get a larger reward by defecting, even if the other cooperates, then defecting becomes the dominant strategy for both. In this case, both players will choose to defect, leading to a situation where neither of them gets the best possible outcome, but they still act in their own self-interest.