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Absolute Expediency and Imitative Behaviour

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Abstract

This paper analyses a model of learning by imitation, where besides the decision maker, there is a population of individuals facing the same decision problem. We analyze a property called Absolute Expediency, which requires that the decision maker's expected payoff increases from one round to the next for every decision problem and every state of the population. We give a simple characterization of the expediency property and show that its basic feature is proportional imitation: the change in the probability attached to the played action is proportional to the difference between the received and the sampled payoff (the sampled payoff plays the role of an aspiration level).

Suggested Citation

  • Antonio J. Morales Siles, 2002. "Absolute Expediency and Imitative Behaviour," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2002/03, Centro de Estudios Andaluces.
    • Handle: RePEc:cea:doctra:e2002_03
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    File URL: http://public.centrodeestudiosandaluces.es/pdfs/E200203.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fudenberg, Drew & Levine, David, 1998. "Learning in games," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(3-5), pages 631-639, May.
    2. Tilman Börgers & Antonio J. Morales & Rajiv Sarin, 2004. "Expedient and Monotone Learning Rules," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 72(2), pages 383-405, March.
    3. Drew Fudenberg & David K. Levine, 1998. "The Theory of Learning in Games," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262061945, April.
    4. Schlag, Karl H., 1998. "Why Imitate, and If So, How?, : A Boundedly Rational Approach to Multi-armed Bandits," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 78(1), pages 130-156, January.
    5. John G. Cross, 1973. "A Stochastic Learning Model of Economic Behavior," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 87(2), pages 239-266.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jonas Hedlund & Carlos Oyarzun, 2018. "Imitation in heterogeneous populations," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 65(4), pages 937-973, June.
    2. Carlos Oyarzun & Johannes Ruf, 2009. "Monotone imitation," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 41(3), pages 411-441, December.
    3. Alanyali, Murat, 2010. "A note on adjusted replicator dynamics in iterated games," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 86-98, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social Learning; Decision Problems; Imitation; Bounded Rationality.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • C79 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Other

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