Behavioral spillovers and cognitive load in multiple games: An experimental study

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bednar, Jenna; Chen, Yan; Liu, Tracy Xiao; Page, Scott
• 署名单位: University of Michigan System; University of Michigan; The Santa Fe Institute; University of Michigan System; University of Michigan; University of Michigan System; University of Michigan
• 刊物名称: GAMES AND ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0899-8256
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geb.2011.06.009
• 发表日期: 2012
• 页码: 12-31
• 关键词: multiple games; Behavioral spillover; Cognitive load; entropy; experiment

摘要

We present evidence from laboratory experiments of behavioral spillovers and cognitive load that spread across strategic contexts. In the experiments, subjects play two distinct games simultaneously with different opponents. We find that the strategies chosen and the efficiency of outcomes in one game depends on the other game that the subject plays, and that play is altered in predictable directions. We develop a measure of behavioral variation in a normal form game, outcome entropy, and find that prevalent strategies in games with low outcome entropy are more likely to be used in the games with high outcome entropy, but not vice versa. Taken together, these findings suggest that people do not treat strategic situations in isolation, but may instead develop heuristics that they apply across games. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.