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The rationality of expectations formation and excess volatility

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  • Julio Davila

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

I establish, in simple deterministic overlapping generations economies, that if each agent holds rationally formed expectations in the sense that any other expectations justifying his choices imply a smaller likelihood for the history he observes with limited memory, then there are rationally formed expectations equilibria exhibiting an excess volatility that no rational expectations equilibrium can match. Given that the limited records or finite memory case may arguably be the relevant one from a positive viewpoint, this result suggests that the possibility of excess volatility as an equilibrium phenomenon has been downplayed by the use of the rational expectations hypothesis.

Suggested Citation

  • Julio Davila, 2008. "The rationality of expectations formation and excess volatility," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00261582, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:cesptp:halshs-00261582
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00261582
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Peck, James, 1988. "On the existence of sunspot equilibria in an overlapping generations model," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 19-42, February.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    volatility; Expectations; rationality; volatility.; Anticipations; rationalité; volatilité.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D51 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Exchange and Production Economies
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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