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On the Efficiency of Social Learning

Author

Listed:
  • Rosenberg, Dinah
  • Vieille, Nicolas

Abstract

We revisit well-known models of learning in which a sequence of agents make a binary decision on the basis of a private signal and additional information. We introduce efficiency measures, aimed at capturing the speed of learning in such contexts. Whatever the distribution of private signals, we show that the learning efficiency is the same, whether each agent observes the entire sequence of earlier decisions, or only the previous decision. We provide a simple necessary and sufficient condition on the signal distributions under which learning is efficient. This condition fails to hold in many prominent cases of interest. Extensions are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Rosenberg, Dinah & Vieille, Nicolas, 2017. "On the Efficiency of Social Learning," HEC Research Papers Series 1246, HEC Paris.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebg:heccah:1246
    DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3081876
    Note: models of learning; Social Learning
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Elchanan Mossel & Manuel Mueller‐Frank & Allan Sly & Omer Tamuz, 2020. "Social Learning Equilibria," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 88(3), pages 1235-1267, May.
    2. Hann-Caruthers, Wade & Martynov, Vadim V. & Tamuz, Omer, 2018. "The speed of sequential asymptotic learning," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 383-409.
    3. Arieli, Itai & Babichenko, Yakov & Smorodinsky, Rann, 2020. "Identifiable information structures," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 16-27.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social Learning;

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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