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Discrete Actions in Information-Constrained Decision Problems

Author

Listed:
  • Junehyuk Jung
  • Jeong Ho (John) Kim
  • Filip Matějka
  • Christopher A Sims

Abstract

Individuals are constantly processing external information and translating it into actions. This draws on limited resources of attention and requires economizing on attention devoted to signals related to economic behaviour. A natural measure of such costs is based on Shannon’s “channel capacity”. Modelling economic agents as constrained by Shannon capacity as they process freely available information turns out to imply that discretely distributed actions, and thus actions that persist across repetitions of the same decision problem, are very likely to emerge in settings that without information costs would imply continuously distributed behaviour. We show how these results apply to the behaviour of an investor choosing portfolio allocations, as well as to some mathematically simpler “tracking” problems that illustrate the mechanism. Trying to use costs of adjustment to explain “stickiness” of actions when interpreting the behaviour in our economic examples would lead to mistaken conclusions.

Suggested Citation

  • Junehyuk Jung & Jeong Ho (John) Kim & Filip Matějka & Christopher A Sims, 2019. "Discrete Actions in Information-Constrained Decision Problems," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 86(6), pages 2643-2667.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:restud:v:86:y:2019:i:6:p:2643-2667.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/restud/rdz011
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bartosz Maćkowiak & Filip Matějka & Mirko Wiederholt, 2023. "Rational Inattention: A Review," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 61(1), pages 226-273, March.
    2. Ellison, Martin & Macaulay, Alistair, 2021. "A rational inattention unemployment trap," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    3. Andrade, Philippe & Gautier, Erwan & Mengus, Eric, 2023. "What matters in households’ inflation expectations?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 50-68.
    4. Melcangi, Davide & Turen, Javier, 2023. "Subsidizing startups under imperfect information," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 93-109.
    5. Karol Mazur, 2021. "A note on pessimism in education and its economic consequences," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(4), pages 773-783, December.
    6. Flynn, Joel P. & Sastry, Karthik A., 2023. "Strategic mistakes," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    7. Jeong Ho (John) Kim & Kyungmin Kim & Marilyn Pease, 2024. "Unemployment Duration Under Flexible Information Acquisition," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 65(1), pages 471-503, February.
    8. Roc Armenter & Michèle Müller-Itten & Zachary Stangebye, 2020. "Rational Inattention via Ignorance Equivalence," Working Papers 20-24, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    9. Aparicio, Diego & Rigobon, Roberto, 2023. "Quantum prices," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    10. J r my Boccanfuso, 2022. "Consumption Response Heterogeneity and Dynamics with an Inattention Region," Working Papers wp1172, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    11. Ante Sterc, 2022. "Limited Consideration in the Investment Fund Choice," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp729, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    12. Philippe Andrade & Marco Del Negro & Colin J. Hottman & Christian Hoynck & Edward S. Knotek & Matthias Meier & Robert W. Rich & Elisa Rubbo & Raphael Schoenle & Daniel Villar Vallenas & Michael Weber, 2021. "Inflation: Drivers and Dynamics 2020 Conference Summary," Economic Commentary, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, vol. 2021(02), pages 1-7, February.
    13. Roc Armenter & Michèle Müller-Itten & Zachary Strangebye, 2021. "Geometric Methods for Finite Rational Inattention," Working Papers 21-30, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    14. Yin, Penghui, 2021. "Optimal attention and heterogeneous precautionary saving behavior," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    15. George Loewenstein & Zachary Wojtowicz, 2023. "The Economics of Attention," CESifo Working Paper Series 10712, CESifo.
    16. Jurado, Kyle, 2023. "Rational inattention in the frequency domain," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Rational inattention; information theory; decision theory;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C44 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Operations Research; Statistical Decision Theory
    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • E71 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on the Macro Economy

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