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Simple versus rich language in disclosure games

Author

Listed:
  • Jeanne Hagenbach

    (X - École polytechnique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris)

  • Frédéric Koessler

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

This paper studies strategic information disclosure when the sender may not observe the payoff-relevant state, and the receiver may interpret messages naively. We characterize equilibria as a function of the language available to the sender. The language is simple if an informed sender can either fully disclose the state or nothing. The language is rich if he can disclose any closed interval containing the true state. We show that an informed sender and a strategic receiver get a higher ex-ante equilibrium payoff when the language is rich. The reverse holds for a naive receiver and an uninformed sender. Overall, our work suggests that the design of language is key in situations where disclosure is voluntary.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeanne Hagenbach & Frédéric Koessler, 2017. "Simple versus rich language in disclosure games," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) hal-01629311, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:pseptp:hal-01629311
    DOI: 10.1007/s10058-017-0203-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Gambato, Jacopo & Peitz, Martin, 2025. "Platform-enabled information disclosure," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    2. S. Nageeb Ali & Andreas Kleiner & Kun Zhang, 2024. "From Design to Disclosure," Papers 2411.03608, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2026.
    3. S Nageeb Ali & Greg Lewis & Shoshana Vasserman, 2023. "Voluntary Disclosure and Personalized Pricing," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(2), pages 538-571.
    4. Hagenbach, Jeanne & ,, 2022. "Motivated Skepticism," CEPR Discussion Papers 17478, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Deversi, Marvin & Ispano, Alessandro & Schwardmann, Peter, 2021. "Spin doctors: An experiment on vague disclosure," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    6. Kun Zhang, 2022. "Withholding Verifiable Information," Papers 2206.09918, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2022.
    7. Alessandro Ispano & Peter Schwardmann, 2018. "Competition over Cursed Consumers," CESifo Working Paper Series 7046, CESifo.
    8. Alessandro Ispano & Peter Schwardmann, 2023. "Cursed Consumers and the Effectiveness of Consumer Protection Policies," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(2), pages 407-440, June.
    9. Onuchic, Paula, 2025. "Advisors with hidden motives," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 129091, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design

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