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Does Payoff Equity Facilitate Coordination? A test of Schelling's Conjecture

Author

Listed:
  • Raul Lopez-Perez

    (Department of Economic Analysis, Universidad Aut˘noma de Madrid)

  • Agnes Pinter

    (Department of Economic Analysis, Universidad Aut˘noma de Madrid,)

  • Hubert Janos Kiss

    (Game Theory Research Group, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, Hungarian Academy of SciencesAuthor-Name: Hubert J nos Kiss)

Abstract

Starting from Schelling (1960), several game theorists have conjectured that payoff equity might facilitate coordination in normal-form games with multiple equilibria ?the more equitable equilibrium might be selected either because fairness makes it focal or because many individuals dislike payoff inequities, as abundant experimental evidence suggests. In this line, we propose a selection principle called Equity (EQ), which selects the equilibrium in pure strategies minimizing the difference between the highest and smallest payoff, if only one such equilibrium exists. Using a within-subjects experimental design, furthermore, we study the relative performance of the equity principle in six simple 2x2 coordination games. Overall, we find that Equity explains individual behavior better than a large range of alternative theories, including theories of bounded rationality and several other equilibrium selection principles. Further, a classification analysis suggests the existence of two main groups of players: (i) players who tend to play as Equity predicts, and (ii) a miscellaneous group of players who either go for the risk dominant equilibrium or act in a boundedly rational manner. This heterogeneity seems to be behind most of the coordination failures that we observe.

Suggested Citation

  • Raul Lopez-Perez & Agnes Pinter & Hubert Janos Kiss, 2013. "Does Payoff Equity Facilitate Coordination? A test of Schelling's Conjecture," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 1346, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
  • Handle: RePEc:has:discpr:1346
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    5. Rodriguez-Lara, Ismael, 2016. "Equity and bargaining power in ultimatum games," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 144-165.
    6. Lars Gårn Hansen, 2015. "A Montero auction mechanism for regulating unobserved use of the commons," IFRO Working Paper 2015/07, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Coordination; equity; experiments; inequity aversion; level-k thinking; risk dominance.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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