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Steering Fallible Consumers

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Heidhues
  • Mats Köster
  • Botond Kőszegi

Abstract

Online intermediaries with information about a consumer’s tendencies often ‘steer’ her toward products she is more likely to purchase. We analyse the welfare implications of this practice for ‘fallible’ consumers, who make statistical and strategic mistakes in evaluating offers. The welfare effects depend on the nature and quality of the intermediary’s information and on properties of the consumer’s mistakes. In particular, steering based on high-quality information about the consumer’s mistakes is typically harmful, sometimes extremely so. We argue that much real-life steering is of this type, raising the scope for a broader regulation of steering practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Heidhues & Mats Köster & Botond Kőszegi, 2023. "Steering Fallible Consumers," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 133(652), pages 1430-1465.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:econjl:v:133:y:2023:i:652:p:1430-1465.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ej/ueac093
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alexandre de Cornière & Greg Taylor, 2019. "A model of biased intermediation," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 50(4), pages 854-882, December.
    2. Dirk Bergemann & Alessandro Bonatti, 2011. "Targeting in advertising markets: implications for offline versus online media," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 42(3), pages 417-443, September.
    3. Stigler, George J., 1980. "An Introduction to Privacy in Economics and Politics," Working Papers 10, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    4. Botond Koszegi & Adam Szeidl, 2013. "A Model of Focusing in Economic Choice," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 128(1), pages 53-104.
    5. Andrei Hagiu & Bruno Jullien, 2011. "Why do intermediaries divert search?," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 42(2), pages 337-362, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chioveanu, Ioana, 2024. "Consumer data and price discrimination by consideration sets," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    2. Martin Peitz, 2023. "Governance and Regulation of Platforms," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2023_480, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.

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