Dissertation abstract: Contribution to a public good - Theoretical analysis and experimental evidence |
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Authors: | Walid Hichri |
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Institution: | (1) G.R.E.Q.A.M. & Université d’Aix-Marseille III, Marseille, France |
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Abstract: | The work undertook is located between Public Economic Theory and Experimental Economics. The object of the thesis consists
in analysing the aggregate behavior and the individual heterogeneity in a voluntary contribution game. The thesis defended
here is that overcontribution in comparison to the Nash equilibrium of the game, can not be explained neither by judgement
errors, nor by the information on the individual behaviour of the members in a one given group. The level of contribution
observed remains nevertheless inferior to the one simulated using the E.W.A. learning model.
The dissertation is composed of three parts and six chapters. The first chapter expresses the various theoretical mechanisms
of production of a public good, while the second one presents an overview of the experimental literature using voluntary contribution
mechanisms.
The second part carries on the introduction of an interior solution in a public good game in order to distinguish an explanation
of overcontribution in terms of mistakes or strategies. While chapter three presents the most important works in literature
that use an interior solution, the fourth chapter constitutes a personal contribution consisting in an experiment with an
interior optimum. Our main result is that individuals contribute a constant part of their social optimum and that overcontribution
is not explained by error. We test then the simple learning model R.L. using the observed data on the aggregate level. This
model predicts well the observed behaviour.
The third part is composed of two experiments where the environment of players is modified. We introduce in chapter five promises
as cheap talk and find that they increase contributions at the aggregate level. In chapter six, various conditions of information
on individual contributions are tested. The parameter tested is the level of information on “neighbours” contributions given
to players. One of the treatments presents full information about individual contributions of the members of the group, while
this information is incomplete in the other treatments. Our results show that information has no effect on the level of contribution.
We simulate then the EWA learning model both at the aggregate and the individual levels and compare the simulated data to
the experimental one. These simulations predict a level of contribution that is higher that the one observed in the experiment.
JEL Classification C91, C92, H41
Dissertation Committee:
Alan Kirman (Ph.D. Advisor), Université d’Aix-Marseille III
Marie-Claire Villeval (Chair), GATE, Lyon, France
Jordi Brandts, Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Spain
Charles Noussair, Emory University, Alanta, GA, U.S.A.
Sylvie Thoron, GREQAM & Université du Var, France
Marc Willinger, Université de Montpellier I, France |
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Keywords: | Public goods Experiments Interior solutions Promises Information Aggregate behavior Individual heterogeneity |
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