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Price expectations in the laboratory in positive and negative feedback systems

Author

Listed:
  • Joep Sonnemans
  • Peter Heemeijer

    (CeNDEF, Dep. of Quantitative Economics University of Amsterdam)

  • Cars Hommes

Abstract

We analyse the results of a laboratory experiment on expectation formation. Participants were asked to predict prices in an artificial single-good economy, and were paid according to their forecasting accuracy. Thirteen markets, with six subjects each, were created, in two different treatments. The first treatment concerns a Cobweb-like commodity market with supply-driven expectations feedback. The second treatment concerns a speculative asset market with demanddriven expectations feedback. In the first treatment price fluctuations are relatively stable, quickly converging to the Rational Expectations fundamental value. In the second treatment prices do not converge quickly, but tend to display a slow oscillation around the fundamental price. An important factor in generating these differences is shown to be the strong coordination of price predictions among participants. This suggests a large degree of homogeneity in the expectation rules applied by the participants, which was confirmed by explicitly fitting the individual predictions to a linear adaptive autoregressive specification

Suggested Citation

  • Joep Sonnemans & Peter Heemeijer & Cars Hommes, 2005. "Price expectations in the laboratory in positive and negative feedback systems," Computing in Economics and Finance 2005 165, Society for Computational Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:sce:scecf5:165
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lei, Vivian & Noussair, Charles N & Plott, Charles R, 2001. "Nonspeculative Bubbles in Experimental Asset Markets: Lack of Common Knowledge of Rationality vs. Actual Irrationality," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 69(4), pages 831-859, July.
    2. Schmalensee, Richard, 1976. "An Experimental Study of Expectation Formation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 44(1), pages 17-41, January.
    3. Richard B. Freeman, 1976. "A Cobweb Model of the Supply and Starting Salary of New Engineers," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 29(2), pages 236-248, January.
    4. William A. Brock & Cars H. Hommes, 1997. "A Rational Route to Randomness," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(5), pages 1059-1096, September.
    5. Giulio Bottazzi & Giovanna Devetag, 2005. "Expectations Structure in Asset Pricing Experiments," Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems, in: Thomas Lux & Eleni Samanidou & Stefan Reitz (ed.), Nonlinear Dynamics and Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, pages 11-26, Springer.
    6. Mordecai Ezekiel, 1938. "The Cobweb Theorem," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 52(2), pages 255-280.
    7. Smith, Vernon L & Suchanek, Gerry L & Williams, Arlington W, 1988. "Bubbles, Crashes, and Endogenous Expectations in Experimental Spot Asset Markets," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 56(5), pages 1119-1151, September.
    8. Marc Nerlove, 1958. "Adaptive Expectations and Cobweb Phenomena," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 72(2), pages 227-240.
    9. Nicholas Kaldor, 1934. "A Classificatory Note on the Determinateness of Equilibrium," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 1(2), pages 122-136.
    10. William A. Brock & Cars H. Hommes, 2001. "A Rational Route to Randomness," Chapters, in: W. D. Dechert (ed.), Growth Theory, Nonlinear Dynamics and Economic Modelling, chapter 16, pages 402-438, Edward Elgar Publishing.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Roos, Michael W. M. & Luhan, Wolfgang J., 2008. "As if or What? – Expectations and Optimization in a Simple Macroeconomic Environment," Ruhr Economic Papers 55, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    2. Michael W. M. Roos & Wolfgang J. Luhan, 2013. "Information, Learning and Expectations in an Experimental Model Economy," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 80(319), pages 513-531, July.
    3. Michael W.M. Roos & Wolfgang J. Luhan, 2008. "As if or What? – Expectations and Optimization in a Simple Macroeconomic Environment," Ruhr Economic Papers 0055, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    4. repec:zbw:rwirep:0055 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    experimental economics; expectation formation; feedback;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations

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