Exploring the Paradox in Hardin's “Tragedy of the Commons”: A Conservation Psychology Classroom Exercise

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to introduce and describe the use of a classroom simulation exercise for conservation psychology instructors adapted from Garrett Hardin's “Tragedy of the Commons.” The exercise unfolds as a game between four competing individuals who must survive by fishing for a limited number of oysters in a pond shared in common by all. The tragedy is based on a paradox of the cumulative effects of human activity on a finite planet with limited natural resources. The classroom exercise is designed to help student participants appreciate the delicate nature of the relationship between population size, limited resources that replenish themselves at a fixed but limited rate, and the effects of personal choice. It also allows students to explore both the positive and negative consequences of having freedom to grow, profit, and breed. Ten specific learning outcomes are identified as well. Procedurally, the class is divided equally into groups of four students who position themselves around a small desk or table that represents the pond where fishing takes place. Instructions for fishing, as well as the reproduction rate of the oysters and survival criteria, are presented in advance. Students fish once each year by deciding how many oysters to consume. After several rounds (years) of playing the game, a postgame discussion centers around having participants describe whether their community survived or starved, as well as the decision criteria each used for choosing how many oysters to take in each year. The result is insight into how sustainable societies can survive.