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Weighted Garbling

Author

Listed:
  • Daehyun Kim
  • Ichiro Obara

Abstract

We introduce an information order on experiments based on weighted garbling, a generalization of the standard notion of garbling. In this order, an experiment is more informative than another if the latter is a weighted garbling of the former. We show that this is equivalent to ordinary garbling conditional on a payoff-irrelevant event. We also characterize the order in terms of induced posterior belief distributions, showing that it depends only on their support. Our main results provide two decision-theoretic characterizations of this order. First, in static decision problems, one experiment dominates another if and only if its value of information is at least a fixed fraction of the other's across all problems. Second, in a class of stopping time problems with a hidden Markov process and repeated experimentation, one experiment dominates another if and only if it yields weakly higher expected payoffs for every problem with a regular prior.

Suggested Citation

  • Daehyun Kim & Ichiro Obara, 2024. "Weighted Garbling," Papers 2410.21694, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2026.
  • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2410.21694
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yaron Azrieli, 2014. "Comment on “The Law of Large Demand for Information”," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 82(1), pages 415-423, January.
    2. Antonio Cabrales & Olivier Gossner & Roberto Serrano, 2013. "Entropy and the Value of Information for Investors," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(1), pages 360-377, February.
    3. Giuseppe Moscarini & Lones Smith, 2002. "The Law of Large Demand for Information," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 70(6), pages 2351-2366, November.
    4. Christopher Phelan & Andrzej Skrzypacz, 2012. "Beliefs and Private Monitoring," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 79(4), pages 1637-1660.
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