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The Expected Externality Mechanism in a Level-k Environment

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  • Olga Gorelkina

    (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn)

Abstract

Mechanism design theory strongly relies on the concept of Nash equilibrium. However, studies of experimental games show that Nash equilibria are rarely played and that subjects may be thinking only a finite number of iterations. We study one of the most influential benchmarks of mechanism design theory, the expected externality mechanism (D’Aspremont, Gerard-Varet, 1979) in a finite-depth environment described by the Lk model. While efficient implementation fails under certain conditions, our results provide a vindication of the mechanism in the convex quasi-linear environment with finitely-rational agents.

Suggested Citation

  • Olga Gorelkina, 2015. "The Expected Externality Mechanism in a Level-k Environment," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2015_03, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    • Handle: RePEc:mpg:wpaper:2015_03
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    Cited by:

    1. Tilman Börgers & Jiangtao Li, 2019. "Strategically Simple Mechanisms," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 87(6), pages 2003-2035, November.
    2. Crawford, Vincent P., 2021. "Efficient mechanisms for level-k bilateral trading," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 80-101.
    3. Kneeland, Terri, 2022. "Mechanism design with level-k types: Theory and an application to bilateral trade," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    4. Dvijotham, Krishnamurthy & Rabani, Yuval & Schulman, Leonard J., 2022. "Convergence of incentive-driven dynamics in Fisher markets," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 361-375.
    5. Aperjis, Christina & Kotowski, Maciej & Zeckhauser, Richard, 2019. "Efficient Division When Preferences are Private: Using the Expected Externality Mechanism," Working Paper Series rwp19-014, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    6. Kneeland, Terri, 2017. "Mechanism design with level-k types: Theory and an application to bilateral trade," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Economics of Change SP II 2017-303, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bounded Rationality; Expected externality; externality mechanisms; Level-K;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games

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