Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
984723 Research in Economics 2006 13 Pages PDF
Abstract
The paper considers a simple oligopoly model where firms know their own and the average pay-off in the industry. Firms choose decision rules for trading. The theory predicts that there are three types of Nash equilibria in this game (collusive, Cournot and Stackelberg). Our experiments test the selection process. We find that there is clear evidence of convergence to an equilibrium, and whilst both Cournot and collusive outcomes were selected, the collusive equilibrium is more common. The experimental results also give insights into the process of individual learning, confirming that subjects follow aspiration rules rather than reinforcement rules.
Related Topics
Social Sciences and Humanities Economics, Econometrics and Finance Economics and Econometrics
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