Forced experimentation: An analysis of multi-armed bandits with an inconsistent option
研究人们在强制实验环境中的行为，通过新颖的赌博机问题分析个体在不一致选项（可能被随机阻止）和一致选项（始终可用）之间的选择，实验发现被试更倾向于选择一致选项，结构分析表明惯性或对不一致选项的厌恶是驱动因素。
This paper investigates behavior in environments with forced experimentation. We analyze behavior in novel bandit problems where individuals repeatedly choose between an inconsistent option that may randomly be blocked in any given decision and a consistent option that is always available to be implemented. We analyze two environments with forced experimentation: an “Ex-Ante” environment and an “Ex-Post” environment. In the Ex-Ante environment, an individual knows at the start of a decision whether the inconsistent option can be implemented. In the Ex-Post environment, an individual only observes if the inconsistent option can be implemented by trying to implement it. We conduct an experiment where individuals in these two environments are predicted to choose the inconsistent option more often than the consistent option. Contrary to this prediction, we find evidence that subjects choose the consistent option more often. Structural analysis suggests that this result is driven by subjects who exhibit inertia after being forced into the consistent option and subjects who are averse to choosing an inconsistent option. Our results suggest that subjects may avoid inconsistently available options and that the presence of blocking in bandit problems leads to new behavioral factors to consider.