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A Random Attention Model

Matias D. Cattaneo, Xinwei Ma, Yusufcan Masatlioglu, Elchin Suleymanov

arXiv 9 Dec 2017 · Econometrics · publishedJournal of Political Economy (2019) · 9 citations (OpenAlex)

arXiv:1712.03448 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text

Abstract

This paper illustrates how one can deduce preference from observed choices when attention is not only limited but also random. In contrast to earlier approaches, we introduce a Random Attention Model (RAM) where we abstain from any particular attention formation, and instead consider a large class of nonparametric random attention rules. Our model imposes one intuitive condition, termed Monotonic Attention, which captures the idea that each consideration set competes for the decision-maker's attention. We then develop revealed preference theory within RAM and obtain precise testable implications for observable choice probabilities. Based on these theoretical findings, we propose econometric methods for identification, estimation, and inference of the decision maker's preferences. To illustrate the applicability of our results and their concrete empirical content in specific settings, we also develop revealed preference theory and accompanying econometric methods under additional nonparametric assumptions on the consideration set for binary choice problems. Finally, we provide general purpose software implementation of our estimation and inference results, and showcase their performance using simulations.

Citation extraction

45
references
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in-text mentions
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appendix boundary found by appendix_command · 89% of the source is main text. Read the extracted text to check this.

Most heavily cited references

The works this paper leans on most, across its whole bibliography — not restricted to papers in our corpus. Ranked by composite intensity, which combines how often a work is mentioned, how many sections mention it, and how much of that falls in the main text rather than the appendix.

ReferenceIntensityMentionsSectionsMain text
1Brady, Richard L and John Rehbeck (2016) Menu-Dependent Stochastic Feasibility1.00073100%
2Manzini, Paola and Marco Mariotti (2014) Stochastic Choice and Consideration Sets1.00073100%
3Masatlioglu, Yusufcan, Daisuke Nakajima, and Erkut Y. Ozbay (2012) Revealed Attention self1.00053100%
4Suppes, Patrick and R D Luce (1965) Preference, Utility, and Subjective Probability0.64422100%
5Andrews, Donald W.K. and Gustavo Soares (2010) Inference for Parameters Defined by Moment Inequalities Using Generalized Moment Selection0.51121100%
6Fudenberg, Drew, Ryota Iijima, and Tomasz Strzalecki (2015) Stochastic Choice and Revealed Perturbed Utility0.51121100%
7Abaluck, Jason and Abi Adams (2017) What Do Consumers Consider Before They Choose? Identification from Asymmetric Demand Responses0.40511100%
8Agranov, Marina and Pietro Ortoleva (2017) Stochastic Choice and Preferences for Randomization0.40511100%
9Aguiar, Victor H (2015) Stochastic Choice and Attention Capacities: Inferring Preferences from Psychological Biases0.40511100%
10Aguiar, Victor H, Mará José Boccardi, and Mark Dean (2016) Satisficing and Stochastic Choice0.40511100%

Showing the top 10 of 45 scored citations.

Cited by, within the corpus

arXiv econ.EM papers that cite this one, ranked by how heavily they lean on it.

Citing paperIntensityMentionsSections
1Attention Overload0.87472
2Microeconometrics with Partial Identification0.64441
3Risk Preference Types, Limited Consideration, and Welfare0.51121
4Identifying the Effects of a Program Offer with an Application to Head Start0.40511
5Peer Effects in Random Consideration Sets0.40511
6Identification and Estimation in Many-to-one Two-sided Matching without Transfers0.40511
7Context-Dependent Heterogeneous Preferences: A Comment on Barseghyan and Molinari (2023)0.40511
8Scalable Estimation of Multinomial Response Models with Random Consideration Sets0.40511
92401.110160.40511
10Exogenous Consideration and Extended Random Utility0.40511