Rational self-sabotage

We consider a dynamic tournament where contestants choose a productive effort and to help or sabotage their opponents. Sabotage lowers the output of the victim. Moreover, sabotage imposes an additional direct psychic cost on the victim. Because the current leader is sabotaged most strongly in the final stage, players help other players and even sabotage themselves early on.

► The paper analyzes a dynamic tournament. ► Contestants choose productive effort and to help or sabotage their opponents. ► Besides lowering his output, sabotage imposes a direct psychic cost on the victim. ► To avoid being sabotaged, players help others and even sabotage themselves early on.