What is a social dilemma?

A social dilemma is accurately defined as a situation in which individual actions, taken in pursuit of personal gain, can lead to negative consequences for the entire group. This concept highlights the tension between self-interest and the collective good. When individuals prioritize their own benefit, it can undermine mutual cooperation and lead to outcomes that are detrimental to everyone involved, such as overexploitation of resources or environmental degradation.

Understanding social dilemmas is crucial in social psychology as it illustrates how individuals navigate choices that may conflict with group welfare, emphasizing the importance of fostering cooperation to achieve collective goals. The other choices fail to capture this essence; they either describe unrelated concepts or focus on scenarios where the dynamics of personal benefit versus group effect are not at play.