A casual viewer of CBS’s hit reality show Survivor would likely argue that athleticism, competitiveness and survival skills are among the most important attributes of a successful player.
However, Xander Hastings, a third-year student in the College and recent third-place contestant on Season 41 of Survivor, argues that the principles of behavioral economics were essential to his success.
A business economics major, naturally, Hastings said that the principles of “game theory,” essentially the study of strategy, is a major part of what drew him to audition for Survivor.
During the early stages of the pandemic, Hastings said that his normally adventurous lifestyle was taken away, which prompted him to submit an audition for Survivor in March 2020. Watching Survivor with his friends and pretending like they were on the show was one of his favorite early pandemic pastimes.
Hastings said he did not expect to hear back from CBS for years, if ever, and was surprised to receive a callback during the summer of 2020. He received a spot in Season 41 and left for Fiji for two months in March 2021 to take part in filming. The show aired last fall.
The premise of the show revolves around a group of contestants attempting to survive in an isolated location while competing in team and individual challenges. Players are voted out by their fellow contestants until one player remains.
In addition to the physical obstacles, Hastings said competing on the show is a delicate balance between maintaining alliances and winning challenges, both of which are key to playing the game strategically.
“There is a tremendous social and psychological component to Survivor,” he said. “It’s not just about the challenges–it’s also about the social bonds and the way you are perceived. If you play the game too well, you’ll lose the favor of everyone who is voted out before you, and they get to determine the winner.”
“The key is to convince other players you’re a big enough threat to win, but not a big enough threat to be voted off. You’re constantly managing threat level, other contestants’ feelings, and how you are being viewed by the audience.”
UChicago’s widespread love for the show is clear: during the 2021-2022 academic year, students at the College created a spin-off of Survivor for students to participate in and watch. Hastings said UChicago students “view life as a game and are drawn in by the strategy and manipulation that Survivor requires.”
Hastings said he believes that this balance is something he learned from classes on game theory, comparing the intellectual aspects of the competition to UChicago’s commitment to “life of the mind.”
He is not the only UChicago student who has had success for this very reason: Spencer Bledsoe, AB’14, MA’20, competed in Seasons 28 and 31, coming in fourth and second place, respectively.
Another key part of success on the show is maintaining social relationships despite competing with everyone else. Hastings describes the friendships on Survivor as highly paradoxical: contestants must work together in order to survive but are in constant fear of sabotage or being voted off the show.