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Does Money Illusion Matter?

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  • Ernst Fehr
  • Jean-Robert Tyran

Abstract

Money illusion means that people behave differently when the same objective situation is represented in nominal terms rather than in real terms. This paper shows that seemingly innocuous differences in payoff representation cause pronounced differences in nominal price inertia indicating the behavioral importance of money illusion. In particular, if the payoff information is presented to subjects in nominal terms, price expectations and actual price choices after a fully anticipated negative nominal shock are much stickier than when payoff information presented in real terms. In addition we show that money illusion causes asymmetric effects of negative and positive nominal shocks. While nominal inertia is quite substantial and long-lasting after a negative shock, it is rather small after a positive shock.

Suggested Citation

  • Ernst Fehr & Jean-Robert Tyran, 2000. "Does Money Illusion Matter?," IEW - Working Papers 045, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - University of Zurich.
    • Handle: RePEc:zur:iewwpx:045
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Money illusion; nominal inertia; sticky prices; non-neutrality of money;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • 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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