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Memory and Reference Prices: an Application to Rental Choice

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  • Pedro Bordalo
  • Nicola Gennaioli
  • Andrei Shleifer

Abstract

Simonsohn and Loewenstein (SL 2006) present evidence that a household moving from one US city to another tends to pay a rent level that is closer to the city of origin, relative to comparable locals. Building on “Memory, Attention, and Choice” (BGS 2019), we show that these effects emerge from the interaction between memory and attention. In our model, memory is a database of experiences such as rents. The current rent cues recall of past rents, giving rise to a rental norm. A large discrepancy between the current rent and the memory-based norm surprises and attracts the mover’s attention, distorting choice. Thus, when rents in Pittsburgh cue recall of rent experiences in San Francisco, they look surprisingly cheap by comparison, leading the household to spend more. We revisit the SL evidence in light of the model. Besides generating the basic SL findings, our model yields two new predictions, which we test and confirm using 20 additional years of data.

Suggested Citation

  • Pedro Bordalo & Nicola Gennaioli & Andrei Shleifer, 2019. "Memory and Reference Prices: an Application to Rental Choice," NBER Working Papers 25650, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:25650
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    1. Uri Simonsohn & George Loewenstein, 2006. "Mistake #37: The Effect of Previously Encountered Prices on Current Housing Demand," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(508), pages 175-199, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Giacoletti, Marco & Parsons, Christopher A., 2022. "Peak-Bust rental spreads," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 504-526.
    2. Jonas Radbruch & Amelie Schiprowski, 2020. "Interview Sequences and the Formation of Subjective Assessments," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 045, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    3. Pedro Bordalo & Nicola Gennaioli & Rafael La Porta & Matthew OBrien & Andrei Shleifer, 2023. "Long-Term Expectations and Aggregate Fluctuations," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2023, volume 38, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Pierpaolo Battigalli & Nicolò Generoso, 2021. "Information Flows and Memory in Games," Working Papers 678, IGIER (Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research), Bocconi University.
    5. Jonas Radbruch & Amelie Schiprowski, 2024. "Interview Sequences and the Formation of Subjective Assessments," CESifo Working Paper Series 10957, CESifo.
    6. Xie, Erhao, 2021. "Empirical properties and identification of adaptive learning models in behavioral game theory," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 798-821.
    7. Jonas Radbruch & Amelie Schiprowski, 2024. "Interview Sequences and the Formation of Subjective Assessments," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 497, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.

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    JEL classification:

    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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