ɪn ɡˈeɪm θˈiəɹi, ænd pɚtˈɪkjʊlɚli mˈɛkənˌɪzəm dɪzˈaɪn, pɑːɹtˈɪsɪpˈeɪʃən kənstɹˈeɪnts ɔːɹ ˌɪndᵻvˈɪdʒuːəl ɹˌæʃənˈælᵻɾi kənstɹˈeɪnts ɑːɹ sˈɛd təbi sˈæɾɪsfˌaɪd ɪf ɐ mˈɛkənˌɪzəm lˈiːvz ˈɔːl pɑːɹtˈɪsɪpənts æt lˈiːst æz wˈɛlˈɔf æz ðeɪ wʊdhɐv bˌɪn ɪf ðeɪ hˈædənt pɑːɹtˈɪsᵻpˌeɪɾᵻd.
In game theory, and particularly mechanism design, participation constraints or individual rationality constraints are said to be satisfied if a mechanism leaves all participants at least as well-off as they would have been if they hadn't participated.