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Dynamic decision making: what do people do?

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  • John Hey
  • Luca Panaccione

Abstract

Potentially dynamically-inconsistent individuals create particular problems for economics, as their behaviour depends upon whether and how they attempt to resolve their potential inconsistency. This paper reports on the results of a new experiment designed to help us distinguish between the different types that may exist. We classify people into four types: myopic, naïve, resolute and sophisticated. We implement a new and simple experimental design in which subjects are asked to take two sequential decisions (interspersed by a random move by Nature) concerning the allocation of a given sum of money. The resulting data enables us to classify the subjects. We find that the majority are resolute, a significant few are sophisticated, rather few are naïve and similarly few are myopic.
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  • John Hey & Luca Panaccione, 2011. "Dynamic decision making: what do people do?," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 85-123, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jrisku:v:42:y:2011:i:2:p:85-123
    DOI: 10.1007/s11166-011-9114-4
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    Cited by:

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    2. Konstantinos Georgalos, 2016. "Dynamic decision making under ambiguity," Working Papers 112111041, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    3. Jinrui Pan & Craig Webb & Horst Zank, 2013. "Discounting the Subjective Present and Future," Economics Discussion Paper Series 1305, Economics, The University of Manchester.
    4. Robson, Matthew, 2021. "Inequality aversion, self-interest and social connectedness," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 744-772.
    5. He, Lin & Liang, Zongxia & Song, Yilun & Ye, Qi, 2022. "Optimal asset allocation, consumption and retirement time with the variation in habitual persistence," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 188-202.
    6. Enrica Carbone & Gerardo Infante, 2014. "Comparing behavior under risk and under ambiguity in a lifecycle experiment," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 77(3), pages 313-322, October.
    7. Borissov, Kirill, 2013. "Growth and distribution in a model with endogenous time preferences and borrowing constraints," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 117-128.
    8. Pablo Mira, 2023. "Consumption and Fluctuations: What Role for Behavioral Economics?," Ensayos Económicos, Central Bank of Argentina, Economic Research Department, vol. 1(82), pages 98-127, November.
    9. James Alm & James C. Cox & Vjollca Sadiraj, 2020. "Audit State Dependent Taxpayer Compliance: Theory And Evidence From Colombia," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 58(2), pages 819-833, April.
    10. A. Nebout & D. Dubois, 2014. "When Allais meets Ulysses: Dynamic axioms and the common ratio effect," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 19-49, February.
    11. Amit Kothiyal & Vitalie Spinu & Peter Wakker, 2014. "An experimental test of prospect theory for predicting choice under ambiguity," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 1-17, February.
    12. Antoine Nebout & Marc Willinger, 2014. "Are Non-Expected Utility individuals really Dynamically Inconsistent? Experimental Evidence," Working Papers 14-08, LAMETA, Universtiy of Montpellier, revised Jul 2014.
    13. Chen, An & Hentschel, Felix & Steffensen, Mogens, 2021. "On retirement time decision making," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 107-129.
    14. Pan, Jinrui & Webb, Craig S. & Zank, Horst, 2015. "An extension of quasi-hyperbolic discounting to continuous time," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 43-55.
    15. Georgalos, Konstantinos, 2021. "Dynamic decision making under ambiguity: An experimental investigation," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 28-46.
    16. Lin He & Zongxia Liang & Yilun Song & Qi Ye, 2021. "Optimal Retirement Time and Consumption with the Variation in Habitual Persistence," Papers 2103.16800, arXiv.org.
    17. Brück, Florian & Fermanian, Jean-David & Min, Aleksey, 2023. "A corrected Clarke test for model selection and beyond," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 235(1), pages 105-132.
    18. Rocco Caferra & John D. Hey & Andrea Morone & Marco Santorsola, 2023. "Dynamic inconsistency under ambiguity: An experiment," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 67(3), pages 215-238, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Dynamic inconsistency; Sequential choice; Myopic; Naïve; Resolute; Sophisticated; D90; D81;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General

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