Barking up the right tree: Are small groups rational agents?

A-Tier
Journal: Experimental Economics
Year: 2006
Volume: 9
Issue: 3
Pages: 209-222

Authors (2)

James Cox (Georgia State University) Stephen Hayne (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

2.018 = (α=2.02 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Both mainstream economics and its critics have focused on models of individual rational agents even though most important decisions are made by small groups. Little systematic work has been done to study the behavior of small groups as decision-making agents in markets and other strategic games. This may limit the relevance of both economics and its critics to the objective of developing an understanding of how most important decisions are made. In order to gain some insight into this issue, this paper compares group and individual economic behavior. The objective of the research is to learn whether there are systematic differences between decisions made by groups and individual agents in market environments characterized by risky outcomes. A quantitative measure of deviation from minimally-rational decisions is used to compare group and individual behavior in common value auctions. Copyright Economic Science Association 2006

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:kap:expeco:v:9:y:2006:i:3:p:209-222
Journal Field
Experimental
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25