How individual preferences are aggregated in groups: An experimental study

This paper experimentally investigates how individual preferences, through unrestricted deliberation, are aggregated into a group decision in two contexts: reciprocating gifts and choosing between lotteries. In both contexts, we find that median group members have a significant impact on the group d...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ambrus, Attila (Author), Greiner, Ben (Author), Pathak, Parag (Contributor)
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics (Contributor)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier BV, 2018-10-11T20:15:21Z.
Subjects:
Online Access:Get fulltext
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100 1 0 |a Ambrus, Attila  |e author 
100 1 0 |a Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Pathak, Parag  |e contributor 
700 1 0 |a Greiner, Ben  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Pathak, Parag  |e author 
245 0 0 |a How individual preferences are aggregated in groups: An experimental study 
260 |b Elsevier BV,   |c 2018-10-11T20:15:21Z. 
856 |z Get fulltext  |u http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/118453 
520 |a This paper experimentally investigates how individual preferences, through unrestricted deliberation, are aggregated into a group decision in two contexts: reciprocating gifts and choosing between lotteries. In both contexts, we find that median group members have a significant impact on the group decision, but the median is not the only influential group member. Non-median members closer to the median tend to have more influence than other members. By investigating the same individual's influence in different groups, we find evidence for relative position in the group having a direct effect on influence. These results are consistent with predictions from spatial models of dynamic bargaining, for members with intermediate levels of patience. We also find that group deliberation involves bargaining and compromise as well as persuasion: preferences tend to shift towards the choice of the individual's previous group, especially for those with extreme individual preferences. Keywords: Group decision-making; Role of deliberation; Social influence 
655 7 |a Article 
773 |t Journal of Public Economics