IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/genrir/v32y2007i2p147-167.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Screening equilibria in experimental markets

Author

Listed:
  • Lisa L. Posey

    (Penn State University, Business Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA, e-mail: llp3@psu.edu)

  • Abdullah Yavas

    (Penn State University, Business Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA, e-mail: ayavas@psu.edu)

Abstract

We conduct an experimental test of a screening model of an insurance market with asymmetric information. We first conduct three sessions in which the proportion of high risk buyers is such that a separating equilibrium should exist. We then conduct three more sessions in which the only change we make is decreasing the proportion of high risks such that the equilibrium is now a pooling equilibrium. In both treatments, the observed behavior converges to the equilibrium prediction. The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review (2007) 32, 147–167. doi:10.1007/s10713-007-0007-z

Suggested Citation

  • Lisa L. Posey & Abdullah Yavas, 2007. "Screening equilibria in experimental markets," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 32(2), pages 147-167, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:genrir:v:32:y:2007:i:2:p:147-167
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/grir/journal/v32/n2/pdf/grir2007197a.pdf
    File Function: Link to full text PDF
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/grir/journal/v32/n2/full/grir2007197a.html
    File Function: Link to full text HTML
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kübler, Dorothea & Müller, Wieland & Normann, Hans-Theo, 2008. "Job-market signaling and screening: An experimental comparison," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 219-236, September.
    2. Stiglitz, J & Weiss, A, 1983. "Alternative Approaches to Analyzing Markets with Asymmetric Information: Reply [The Theory of 'Screening,' Education, and the Distribution of Income]," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 73(1), pages 246-249, March.
    3. Davis, Douglas D & Williams, Arlington W, 1991. "The Hayek Hypothesis in Experimental Auctions: Institutional Effects and Market Power," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 29(2), pages 261-274, April.
    4. Crocker, Keith J & Snow, Arthur, 1986. "The Efficiency Effects of Categorical Discrimination in the Insurance Industry," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(2), pages 321-344, April.
    5. Cooper, Russell & Hayes, Beth, 1987. "Multi-period insurance contracts," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 211-231.
    6. Brown-Kruse, Jamie, et al, 1994. "Bertrand-Edgeworth Competition in Experimental Markets," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 62(2), pages 343-372, March.
    7. Miller, Ross M & Plott, Charles R, 1985. "Product Quality Signaling in Experimental Markets," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 53(4), pages 837-872, July.
    8. Crocker, Keith J. & Snow, Arthur, 1985. "The efficiency of competitive equilibria in insurance markets with asymmetric information," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 207-219, March.
    9. Brueckner, Jan K., 1992. "Borrower mobility, self-selection, and the relative prices of fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 2(4), pages 401-421, December.
    10. Stiglitz, Joseph E & Weiss, Andrew, 1981. "Credit Rationing in Markets with Imperfect Information," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(3), pages 393-410, June.
    11. Michael Hoy, 1982. "Categorizing Risks in the Insurance Industry," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 97(2), pages 321-336.
    12. Cadsby, Charles B & Frank, Murray & Maksimovic, Vojislav, 1990. "Pooling, Separating, and Semiseparating Equilibria in Financial Markets: Some Experimental Evidence," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 3(3), pages 315-342.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bardey, David & De Donder, Philippe & Mantilla, César, 2019. "How is the trade-off between adverse selection and discrimination risk affected by genetic testing? Theory and experiment," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Michael LaCour-Little, 2009. "The Pricing of Mortgages by Brokers: An Agency Problem?," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 31(2), pages 235-264.
    3. Hoppe, Eva I. & Schmitz, Patrick W., 2015. "Do sellers offer menus of contracts to separate buyer types? An experimental test of adverse selection theory," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 17-33.
    4. Kübler, D. & Müller, W. & Normann, H.T., 2008. "Job-market signalling and screening : An experimental study," Other publications TiSEM e60074dd-75cb-47df-965c-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    5. Irene Comeig & Ainhoa Jaramillo-Gutiérrez & Federico Ramírez, 2022. "Are credit screening contracts designed for men?," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 16(4), pages 883-905, December.
    6. Kübler, Dorothea & Müller, Wieland & Normann, Hans-Theo, 2008. "Job-market signaling and screening: An experimental comparison," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 219-236, September.
    7. David Crainich, 2017. "Self-Insurance With Genetic Testing Tools," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 84(1), pages 73-94, March.
    8. Corgnet, Brice & Gómez-Miñambres, Joaquín & Hernán-González, Roberto, 2018. "Goal setting in the principal–agent model: Weak incentives for strong performance," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 311-326.
    9. Eva I. Hoppe & Patrick W. Schmitz, 2013. "Contracting under Incomplete Information and Social Preferences: An Experimental Study," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 80(4), pages 1516-1544.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Henri Loubergé, 1998. "Risk and Insurance Economics 25 Years After," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 23(4), pages 540-567, October.
    2. Dionne, G. & Doherty, N., 1991. "Adverse Selection In Insurance Markets: A Selective Survey," Cahiers de recherche 9105, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ.
    3. Dionne, Georges & Harrington, Scott, 2017. "Insurance and Insurance Markets," Working Papers 17-2, HEC Montreal, Canada Research Chair in Risk Management.
    4. Gemmo, Irina & Browne, Mark J. & Gründl, Helmut, 2017. "Transparency aversion and insurance market equilibria," ICIR Working Paper Series 25/17, Goethe University Frankfurt, International Center for Insurance Regulation (ICIR).
    5. Georges Dionne & Casey G. Rothschild, 2011. "Risk Classification in Insurance Contracting," Cahiers de recherche 1137, CIRPEE.
    6. Finkelstein, Amy & Poterba, James & Rothschild, Casey, 2009. "Redistribution by insurance market regulation: Analyzing a ban on gender-based retirement annuities," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(1), pages 38-58, January.
    7. Kübler, D. & Müller, W. & Normann, H.T., 2008. "Job-market signalling and screening : An experimental study," Other publications TiSEM e60074dd-75cb-47df-965c-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    8. Kübler, Dorothea & Müller, Wieland & Normann, Hans-Theo, 2008. "Job-market signaling and screening: An experimental comparison," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 219-236, September.
    9. Georges Dionne & Casey Rothschild, 2014. "Economic Effects of Risk Classification Bans," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 39(2), pages 184-221, September.
    10. Keith J. Crocker & Nan Zhu, 2021. "The efficiency of voluntary risk classification in insurance markets," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 88(2), pages 325-350, June.
    11. Maarten C.W. Janssen & Vladimir A. Karamychev, 2001. "Dynamic Insurance and Adverse Selection," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 01-106/1, Tinbergen Institute.
    12. Georges Dionne & Ying Liu, 2021. "Effects of Insurance Incentives on Road Safety: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in China," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 123(2), pages 453-477, April.
    13. Benndorf, Volker & Kübler, Dorothea & Normann, Hans-Theo, 2022. "Behavioral Forces Driving Information Unraveling," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 354, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    14. Keith J. Crocker, 2024. "The role of normative analysis in markets with hidden knowledge and hidden actions," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 49(2), pages 163-180, September.
    15. Benndorf, Volker & Kübler, Dorothea & Normann, Hans-Theo, 2023. "Behavioral forces driving information unraveling," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Market Behavior SP II 2023-207, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    16. Innes, Robert, 1987. "Adverse Selection And Tax Externalities In A Model Of Entrepreneurial Investment," Working Papers 225812, University of California, Davis, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    17. Georges Dionne & Christian Gourieroux & Charles Vanasse, 1998. "Evidence of Adverse Selection in Automobile Insurance Markets," Working Papers 98-24, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    18. Hyojoung Kim & Doyoung Kim & Subin Im & James W. Hardin, 2009. "Evidence of Asymmetric Information in the Automobile Insurance Market: Dichotomous Versus Multinomial Measurement of Insurance Coverage," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 76(2), pages 343-366, June.
    19. Dominiak, Adam & Lee, Dongwoo, 2023. "Testing rational hypotheses in signaling games," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    20. Jan K. Brueckner & Kangoh Lee, 2014. "Optimal Risk-Sharing in Mortgage Contracts: The Effects of Potential Prepayment and Default," CESifo Working Paper Series 4979, CESifo.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:genrir:v:32:y:2007:i:2:p:147-167. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.