Reconsidering the Experimental Evidence for Quasi-Hyperbolic Discounting

Gregory Besharov and Bentley Coffey

No 03-03, Working Papers from Duke University, Department of Economics

Abstract: Experimental choices between delayed rewards are claimed to provide support for a model of preferences referred to variously as "quasi-hyperbolic," "hyperbolic," and "‚-‰." This paper shows that the experimental results do not differentiate quasi-hyperbolic discounting from exponential discounting. When experimental rewards are financial, quasi-hyperbolic agents can, like exponential agents, become better off by choosing to maximize wealth. Because of liquidity constraints, they may choose a reward with lower net present value, but so may exponential agents for the same reason. When rewards are not financial, then the choices of even exponential agents generally cannot be restricted because of complementarities and informational issues. Since generalizing preferences from exponential to quasi-hyperbolic is neither necessary nor sufficient to generate the experimental results, there is a fundamental identification problem.

JEL-codes: D91 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003
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