Adaptive social learning

Pré-publication, Document de travail: This paper investigates the learning foundations of economic models of social learning. We pursue the prevalent idea in economics that rational play is the outcome of a dynamic process of adaptation. Our learning approach offers us the possibility to clarify when and why the prevalent rational (equilibrium) view of social learning is likely to capture observed regularities in the field. In particular it enables us to address the issue of individual and interactive knowledge. We argue that knowledge about the private belief distribution is unlikely to be shared in most social learning contexts. Absent this mutual knowledge, we show that the long-run outcome of the adaptive process favors non-Bayesian rational play.

Auteur(s)

Christoph March

Date de publication
  • 2011
Mots-clés JEL
C73 D82 D83
Mots-clés
  • Social Learning
  • Non-Bayesian updating
  • Analogies
  • Adaptation
  • Informational herding
Référence interne
  • PSE Working Papers n°2011-10
Version
  • 2