Leading to efficient coordination: Individual traits, beliefs and choices in the minimum effort game
通过最小努力博弈实验,发现许多参与者选择的努力水平系统性地高于他们对他人努力的信念,这种“领导者”行为受信任度和认知能力等个体特质影响,且更高效均衡的出现依赖于努力成本和信息条件。
We consider data from an experiment on the minimum-effort game, repeated over many periods. In each play of the game, each player's belief about the minimum-effort of other players in the group is elicited, in addition to the player's chosen effort level. We find that many agents choose effort levels systematically exceeding their beliefs of others' effort levels. We explain this in terms of such subjects taking the role of “leader” in an attempt to pull the group towards more efficient outcomes. We find that the propensity for leaders to emerge depends on individual traits such as trustfulness and cognitive ability. Furthermore, moving to a superior equilibrium is more likely under certain design features such as conditions relating to the cost of effort and the amount of information available to players.