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Marital Infidelity: A Game-Theoretic Analysis

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  • Amitrajeet A. Batabyal

    (Rochester Institute of Technology)

Abstract

In this paper we focus on a married couple and analyze a game of marital infidelity. The husband can either be faithful to or cheat on his wife. The wife decides how much effort to expend monitoring her husband and she chooses monitoring effort $$m\in [ {0,1} ]$$ m ∈ [ 0 , 1 ] . Our analysis of this strategic interaction leads to five results. First, we solve for the optimal m when the wife believes that her husband is certainly cheating on her. Second, we solve for the optimal m when the wife believes that her husband is faithful for sure. Third, given that the wife believes her husband is faithful with probability p, we determine the best response level of m as a function of p. Fourth, we explain why there is no pure strategy Nash equilibrium in the game between the husband and the wife. Finally, we show that there exists a mixed strategy Nash equilibrium in the same husband–wife game.

Suggested Citation

  • Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, 2018. "Marital Infidelity: A Game-Theoretic Analysis," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 16(1), pages 227-233, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jqecon:v:16:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s40953-017-0081-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s40953-017-0081-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kuroki, Masanori, 2013. "Opposite-sex coworkers and marital infidelity," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 71-73.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cheating; Faithfulness; Monitoring; Mixed Strategy; Static Game;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games

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