Sequential Approval
Abstract:
We study a theoretical model of behaviour that introduces as a primitive a dataset of “approvals” for objects appearing as a list. Approval situations are typical of online behaviour. Approval is distinct from choice as it does not guarantee a final choice (e.g. when filling a virtual shopping cart or selecting potential partners on a dating site) or it may not involve a final selection at all (as e.g. in social media interactions, when retweeting or reacting to a Facebook post). We study the identification, characterisation and comparative statics of the model, and we introduce the problem of “list design”, whereby a designer of lists can manipulate an agent’s choice to maximise some objective function (e.g. number of clicks).

Please sign up for meetings using the below:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lyNu-tHHJ15Se57I0BMvTVqYV0-Yxx6WShyLXVviqlg/edit#gid=0
Date: 9 November 2018, 14:00 (Friday, 5th week, Michaelmas 2018)
Venue: Manor Road Building, Manor Road OX1 3UQ
Venue Details: Seminar Room A
Speaker: Paola Manzini (University of Sussex)
Organising department: Department of Economics
Part of: Nuffield Economic Theory Seminar
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editors: Erin Saunders, Melis Clark