Research Interests
Research Interests
Experimental Economics | Applied Game Theory | Public Economics
Experimental Economics | Applied Game Theory | Public Economics
"Position Uncertainty in a Sequential Public Goods Game: An Experiment" with Konstantinos Georgalos
Experimental Economics 27, 820–853 (2024) | [ Link 1 ] | [ Link 2 ] | [ arXiv ] | [ Pre-registration ]
Abstract. Gallice and Monzón (2019) present a natural environment that sustains full co-operation in one-shot social dilemmas among a finite number of self-interested agents. They demonstrate that in a sequential public goods game, where agents lack knowledge of their position in the sequence but can observe some predecessors’ actions, full contribution emerges in equilibrium due to agents’ incentive to induce potential successors to follow suit. In this study, we aim to test the theoretical predictions of this model through an economic experiment. We conducted three treatments, varying the amount of information about past actions that a subject can observe, as well as their positional awareness. Through rigorous structural econometric analysis, we found that approximately 25% of the subjects behaved in line with the theoretical predictions. However, we also observed the presence of alternative behavioural types among the remaining subjects. The majority were classified as conditional co-operators, showing a willingness to cooperate based on others’ actions. Some subjects exhibited altruistic tendencies, while only a small minority engaged in free-riding behaviour.
"Efficient Public Good Provision Between and Within Groups" with Jorge Bruno, Renaud Foucart and Sonali SenGupta
Games and Economic Behavior 150, 183-190 (2025) | [ Link ] | [ arXiv ]
Abstract. We generalize the model of Gallice and Monzon (2019) to incorporate a public goods game with groups, position uncertainty, and observational learning. Contributions are simultaneous within groups, but groups play sequentially based on their observation of an incomplete sample of past contributions. We show that full cooperation between and within groups is possible with self-interested players on a fixed horizon. Position uncertainty implies the existence of an equilibrium where groups of players conditionally cooperate in the hope of influencing further groups. Conditional cooperation implies that each group member is pivotal, so that efficient simultaneous provision within groups is an equilibrium.
Previously circulated as "Efficient Public Good Provision in a Multipolar World".
"Public Good Provision with a Distributor" with Alexander Matros and Sonali SenGupta
Abstract. We present a model of public good provision with a distributor. Our main result describes a symmetric mixed-strategy equilibrium, where all agents contribute to a common fund with probability p and the distributor provides either a particular amount of public goods or nothing. A corollary of this finding is the efficient public good provision equilibrium where all agents contribute to the common fund, all agents are expected to contribute, and the distributor spends the entire common fund for the public good provision.
"Position Uncertainty in a Sequential Prisoner’s Dilemma Game: An Experiment" with Konstantinos Georgalos and Sonali SenGupta
Under Review | [arXiv]
Abstract. Gallice and Monzón (2019) present a natural environment that sustains full cooperation in one-shot social dilemmas among a finite number of self-interested agents. They demonstrate that in a sequential public goods game, where agents lack knowledge of their position in the sequence but can observe some predecessors’ actions, full contribution emerges in equilibrium due to agents’ incentive to induce potential successors to follow suit. Furthermore, they show that this principle extends to a number of social dilemmas, with the prominent example that of the prisoner’s dilemma. In this study, we experimentally test the theoretical predictions of this model in a multi-player prisoner’s dilemma environment, where subjects are not aware of their position in the sequence and receive only partial information on past cooperating actions. We test the predictions of the model, and through rigorous structural econometric analysis, we test the descriptive capacity of the model against alternative behavioural strategies, such as conditional cooperation, altruistic play and free-riding behaviour. We find that the majority resorts to free-riding behaviour, around 30% is classified as Gallice and Monzón (2019) types, followed by those with social preference considerations and the unconditional altruists.
"Equilibria in Budget Games with Dissatisfaction Cost" with Jorge Bruno, Trivikram Dokka, and Sonali SenGupta
"Strategy Heterogeneity in Human-AI Interactions: An Experiment" with Konstantinos Georgalos
"Data-driven online scheduling of EV home charging" with Trivikram Dokka
"Tax Evasion, Embezzlement and Public Good Provision" with Alexander Matros and Sonali SenGupta
"Stronger Bounds for Effort and Welfare Maximizing Equilibria in Network Public Good Games" with Jorge Bruno, Trivikram Dokka, and Sonali SenGupta