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On the effect of anchoring on valuations when the anchor is transparently uninformative

Author

Listed:
  • Konstantinos Ioannidis

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Theo Offerman

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Randolph Sloof

    (University of Amsterdam)

Abstract

We test whether anchoring affects people's elicited valuations for a bottle of wine in individual decision making and in markets. We anchor subjects by asking them if they are willing to sell a bottle of wine for a transparently uninformative random price. We elicit subjects' Willingness-To-Accept for the bottle before and after the market. Subjects participate in a double auction market either in a small or a large trading group. The variance in subjects' Willingness-To-Accept shrinks within trading groups. Our evidence supports the idea that markets have the potential to diminish anchoring effects. However, the market is not needed: our anchoring manipulation failed in a large sample.

Suggested Citation

  • Konstantinos Ioannidis & Theo Offerman & Randolph Sloof, 2019. "On the effect of anchoring on valuations when the anchor is transparently uninformative," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 19-074/I, Tinbergen Institute, revised 27 Apr 2020.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20190074
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    anchoring; replication; market; experiment;

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior

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