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Emergence of Money as a Medium of Exchange: An Experimental Study

Author

Listed:
  • Jack Ochs
  • John Duffy

Abstract

This paper reports findings from an experiment that implements a search-theoretic model of money as a medium of exchange. The question examined is whether subjects learn to adopt the same commodities as media of exchange that the model predicts will be used in equilibrium. We report that subjects have a strong tendency to play "fundamental" rather than "speculative" strategies even in environments where speculative strategies yield higher payoffs. We examine some possible motivations for subjects' behavior and conclude that subjects are mainly motivated by past payoff experience as opposed to the marketability considerations that the theory emphasizes.

Suggested Citation

  • Jack Ochs & John Duffy, 1999. "Emergence of Money as a Medium of Exchange: An Experimental Study," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(4), pages 847-877, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:89:y:1999:i:4:p:847-877
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.89.4.847
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kehoe, Timothy J & Kiyotaki, Nobuhiro & Wright, Randall, 1993. "More on Money as a Medium of Exchange," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 3(2), pages 297-314, April.
    2. Brown, Paul M., 1996. "Experimental evidence on money as a medium of exchange," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 583-600, April.
    3. S. Rao Aiyagari & Neil Wallace, 1991. "Existence of Steady States with Positive Consumption in the Kiyotaki-Wright Model," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(5), pages 901-916.
    4. Marimon, Ramon & McGrattan, Ellen & Sargent, Thomas J., 1990. "Money as a medium of exchange in an economy with artificially intelligent agents," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 329-373, May.
    5. Sethi, Rajiv, 1999. "Evolutionary stability and media of exchange," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 233-254, November.
    6. Kiyotaki, Nobuhiro & Wright, Randall, 1989. "On Money as a Medium of Exchange," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(4), pages 927-954, August.
    7. Wright, Randall, 1995. "Search, evolution, and money," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 19(1-2), pages 181-206.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E40 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - General
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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