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Showing or telling? Local interaction and organization of behavior

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  • Zakaria Babutsidze
  • Robin Cowan

Abstract

We present a choice model based on agent interaction. Interaction is modeled as face-to-face communication that takes place on a regular periodic lattice with decision-makers exchanging information only with immediate neighbors. We investigate the long-run (equilibrium) behavior of the resulting system and show that for a large range of initial conditions clustering in economic behavior emerges and persists indefinitely. Unlike many models in the literature, our model allows for the analysis of multi-option environments. Therefore, we add to existing results by deriving the equilibrium distribution of option popularity and thus, implicitly, of market shares. Additionally, the model sheds new light on the emergence of the novel behavior in societies. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

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  • Zakaria Babutsidze & Robin Cowan, 2014. "Showing or telling? Local interaction and organization of behavior," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 9(2), pages 151-181, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jeicoo:v:9:y:2014:i:2:p:151-181
    DOI: 10.1007/s11403-013-0117-x
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    Cited by:

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    3. Babutsidze, Zakaria, 2018. "The rise of electronic social networks and implications for advertisers," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 27-39.
    4. Attour, Amel & Baudino, Marco & Krafft, Jackie & Lazaric, Nathalie, 2020. "Determinants of energy tracking application use at the city level: Evidence from France," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    5. Babutsidze, Zakaria & Chai, Andreas, 2018. "Look at me Saving the Planet! The Imitation of Visible Green Behavior and its Impact on the Climate Value-Action Gap," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 290-303.
    6. Chiara Franco & Claudia Ghisetti, 2022. "What shapes the “value-action” gap? The role of time perception reconsidered," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 39(3), pages 1023-1053, October.
    7. Amel Attour & Marco Baudino & Jackie Krafft & Nathalie Lazaric, 2020. "Determinants of smart energy tracking application use at the city level: Evidence from France," Post-Print hal-02942483, HAL.
    8. Nathalie Lazaric & Fabrice Guel & Jean Belin & Vanessa Oltra & Sébastien Lavaud & Ali Douai, 2020. "Determinants of sustainable consumption in France: the importance of social influence and environmental values," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(5), pages 1337-1366, November.
    9. Jianhua Zhang & Xiaolong Liu & Dimitris Ballas, 2023. "Spatial and relational peer effects on environmental behavioral imitation," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 25(4), pages 575-599, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Interaction; Inertia; Clustering; Choice; D83;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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