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Journal of Political Economy Vol. 122 No. 6 2014

Misconceptions and Game Form Recognition: Challenges to Theories of Revealed Preference and Framing

Timothy N. Cason1; Charles R. Plott2

1 Purdue University West Lafayette · 2 California Institute of Technology

Abstract

This study explores the tension between the standard economic theory of preference and nonstandard theories of preference that are motivated by an underlying theory of framing. A simple experiment fails to measure a known preference. The divergence of the measured preference from the known preference reflects a mistake, arising from some subjects’ misconception of the game form. We conclude that choice data should not be granted an unqualified interpretation of preference revelation. Mistakes in choices obscured by a possible error at the foundation of the theory of framing can masquerade as having been produced by nonstandard preferences.

DOI
10.1086/677254
Volume
122
Issue
6
Pages
1235-1270
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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