LEARNING THE OPTIMAL BUFFER-STOCK CONSUMPTION RULE OF CARROLL

Murat Yildizoglu, Marc-Alexandre Senegas, Isabelle Salle and Martin Zumpe

Macroeconomic Dynamics, 2014, vol. 18, issue 4, 727-752

Abstract: This article questions the rather pessimistic conclusions of Allen and Carroll [Macroeconomic Dynamics 5 (2001), 255–271] about the ability of consumers to learn the optimal buffer-stock-based consumption rule. To this end, we develop an agent-based model in which alternative learning schemes can be compared in terms of the consumption behavior that they yield. We show that neither purely adaptive learning nor social learning based on imitation can ensure satisfactory consumption behavior. In contrast, if the agents can form adaptive expectations, based on an evolving individual mental model, their behavior becomes much more interesting in terms of its regularity and its ability to improve performance (which is a clear manifestation of learning). Our results indicate that assumptions on bounded rationality and on adaptive expectations are perfectly compatible with sound and realistic economic behavior, which, in some cases, can even converge to the optimal solution. This framework may therefore be used to develop macroeconomic models with adaptive dynamics.

Date: 2014
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/ ... type/journal_article link to article abstract page (text/html)

Related works:
Working Paper: Learning the optimal buffer-stock consumption rule of Carroll (2014)
Working Paper: Learning the optimal buffer-stock consumption rule of Carroll (2011)
Working Paper: Learning the optimal buffer-stock consumption rule of Carroll (2011)
Working Paper: Learning the optimal buffer-stock consumption rule of Caroll (2011)
Working Paper: Learning the optimal buffer-stock consumption rule of Carroll (2011)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cup:macdyn:v:18:y:2014:i:04:p:727-752_00

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Macroeconomic Dynamics from Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press, UPH, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8BS UK.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Kirk Stebbing ().