Economists long considered money illusion to be largely irrelevant. Here we show, however, that money illusion has powerful effects on equilibrium selection. If we represent pay-offs in nominal terms, choices converge to the Pareto inefficient equilibrium; however, if we lift the veil of money by representing pay-offs in real terms, the Pareto efficient equilibrium is selected. We also show that strategic uncertainty about the other players’ behaviour is key for the equilibrium selection effects of money illusion: even though money illusion vanishes over time if subjects are given learning opportunities in the context of an individual optimization problem, powerful and persistent effects of money illusion are found when strategic uncertainty prevails.
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Paper provided by C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers in its series CEPR Discussion Papers with number
4283.
Find related papers by JEL classification: C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
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