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Trading in Networks: A Normal Form Game Experiment

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  • Douglas M. Gale
  • Shachar Kariv

Abstract

This paper reports an experimental study of trading networks. Networks are incomplete in the sense that each trader can only exchange assets with a limited number of other traders. The greater the incompleteness of the network, the more intermediation is required to transfer the assets between initial and final owners. The uncertainty of trade in networks constitutes a potentially important market friction. Nevertheless, we find the pricing behavior observed in the laboratory converges to competitive equilibrium behavior in a variety of treatments. However, the rate of convergence varies depending on the network, pricing rule, and payoff function. (JEL C91, C92, G10, G19)

Suggested Citation

  • Douglas M. Gale & Shachar Kariv, 2009. "Trading in Networks: A Normal Form Game Experiment," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(2), pages 114-132, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejmic:v:1:y:2009:i:2:p:114-32
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/mic.1.2.114
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    Cited by:

    1. Choi, S. & Goyal, S. & Moisan, F., 2020. "Brokerage Rents and Intermediation Networks," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2005, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    2. Kariv, Shachar & Kotowski, Maciej H. & Leister, C. Matthew, 2018. "Liquidity risk in sequential trading networks," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 565-581.
    3. BEDAYO, Mikel & MAULEON, Ana & VANNETELBOSCH, Vincent, 2012. "Bargaining and delay in trading networks," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2012046, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    4. Syngjoo Choi & Edoardo Gallo & Shachar Kariv, 2015. "Networks in the laboratory," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1551, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    5. Matthew Elliott & Benjamin Golub & Matthew V. Leduc, 2022. "Supply Network Formation and Fragility," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(8), pages 2701-2747, August.
    6. Choi, S. & Goyal, S. & Guo, F. & Moisan, F., 2024. "Experimental Evidence on the Relation Between Network Centrality and Individual Choice," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2401, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    7. Gallo, Edoardo, 2020. "Communication networks in markets," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    8. Antinyan, Armenak & Horváth, Gergely & Jia, Mofei, 2020. "Positional concerns and social network structure: An experiment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    9. Donna, Javier D. & Schenone, Pablo & Veramendi, Gregory F., 2020. "Networks, frictions, and price dispersion," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 406-431.
    10. Aymeric Vié & Alfredo J. Morales, 2021. "How Connected is Too Connected? Impact of Network Topology on Systemic Risk and Collapse of Complex Economic Systems," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 57(4), pages 1327-1351, April.
    11. Goyal, S., 2016. "Networks and Markets," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1652, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    12. Barauskaite, Kristina & Nguyen, Anh D.M., 2021. "Global intersectoral production network and aggregate fluctuations," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    13. Edoardo Gallo & Chang Yan, 2015. "Effciency and equilibrium in network games: An experiment," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1546, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    14. Choi, S. & Goyal, G. & Moisan, F., 2020. "Large Scale Experiments on Networks: A New Platform with Applications," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2063, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    15. Goyal, S., 2018. "Heterogeneity and Networks," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1812, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    16. Felipe Maciel Cardoso & Carlos Gracia-Lázaro & Frédéric Moisan & Sanjeev Goyal & Ángel Sánchez & Yamir Moreno, 2020. "Effect of network topology and node centrality on trading," Post-Print halshs-03052105, HAL.
    17. Syngjoo Choi & Andrea Galeotti & Sanjeev Goyal, 2017. "Trading in Networks: Theory and Experiments," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 15(4), pages 784-817.
    18. Nobuyuki Hanaki & Yutaka Kayaba & Jun Maekawa & Hitoshi Matsushima, 2021. "Trading information goods on a network: An experiment," ISER Discussion Paper 1151, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    19. Bedayo, Mikel & Mauleon, Ana & Vannetelbosch, Vincent, 2016. "Bargaining in endogenous trading networks," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 70-82.
    20. Lisa BREGER & Andrea SORENSEN, 2019. "Posted offers in exogenous networks: A theoretical application and experimental results," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(2(619), S), pages 21-46, Summer.
    21. Agranov, M. & Elliott, M., 2017. "Commitment and (In)Efficiency: A Bargaining Experiment," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1743, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    22. Kotowski, Maciej H. & Leister, C. Matthew, 2018. "Trading Networks and Equilibrium Intermediation," Working Paper Series rwp18-001, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    23. Edoardo Gallo, 2014. "Communication networks in markets," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1431, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    24. Han, Lining & Juarez, Ruben, 2018. "Free intermediation in resource transmission," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 75-84.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • G19 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Other

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