Cheap Talk with Multiple Audiences: an Experimental Analysis

Marco Battaglini and Uliana Makarov

No 8146, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: We examine strategic information transmission in a controlled laboratory experiment of a cheap talk game with one sender and multiple receivers. We study the change in equilibrium behavior from the addition of another audience as well as from varying the degree of conflict between the sender's and receivers' preferences. We find that, as in cheap talk games with just one receiver, information transmission is higher in games with a separating equilibrium, than in games with only a babbling equilibrium. More interestingly, we find clear evidence that the addition of another audience alters the communication between the sender and the receiver in a way consistent with the theoretical predictions. Deviations from the theoretical predictions that we observe tend to disappear with experience, and learning is faster precisely in the games where deviations are more pronounced.

Keywords: Cheap talk; Communication; Experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C92 D82 D83 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-12
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Cheap talk with multiple audiences: An experimental analysis (2014)
Working Paper: Cheap Talk with Multiple Audiences: an Experimental Analysis (2012)
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