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How Flexible is that Functional Form? Quantifying the Restrictiveness of Theories

Drew Fudenberg, Wayne Gao, Annie Liang

arXiv 17 Jul 2020 · Theoretical Economics · publishedThe Review of Economics and Statistics (2023) · 10 citations (OpenAlex)

arXiv:2007.09213 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text

Abstract

We propose a restrictiveness measure for economic models based on how well they fit synthetic data from a pre-defined class. This measure, together with a measure for how well the model fits real data, outlines a Pareto frontier, where models that rule out more regularities, yet capture the regularities that are present in real data, are preferred. To illustrate our approach, we evaluate the restrictiveness of popular models in two laboratory settings -- certainty equivalents and initial play -- and in one field setting -- takeup of microfinance in Indian villages. The restrictiveness measure reveals new insights about each of the models, including that some economic models with only a few parameters are very flexible.

Citation extraction

51
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108
in-text mentions
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distinct cited
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appendix boundary found by appendix_command · 58% 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
1Selten, R (1991) Properties for a Measure of Predictive Success1.00073100%
2Bruhin, A., H. Fehr-Duda, and T. Epper (2010) Risk and Rationality: Uncovering Heterogeneity in Probability Distortion0.96911391%
3Fudenberg, D., J. Kleinberg, A. Liang, and S. Mullainathan (2022) Measuring the Completeness of Economic Models self0.9416483%
4Fudenberg, D. and A. Liang (2019) Predicting and Understanding Initial Play self0.87452100%
5Wright, J. R. and K. Leyton-Brown (2014) Level-0 meta-models for predicting human behavior in games0.81142100%
6Banerjee, A., A. G. Chandrasekhar, E. Duflo, and M. O. Jackson (2013) The diffusion of microfinance0.73732100%
7Banerjee, A., A. G. Chandrasekhar, E. Duflo, and M. O. Jackson (2019) Using gossips to spread information: Theory and evidence from two randomized controlled trials0.73732100%
8Gul, F (1991) A Theory of Disappointment Aversion0.73732100%
9Tversky, A. and D. Kahneman (1992) Advances in Prospect Theory: Cumulative Representation of Uncertainty0.64422100%
10Camerer, C. F., T.-H. Ho, and J.-K. Chong (2004) A cognitive hierarchy model of games0.64422100%

Showing the top 10 of 54 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
1From Predictive Algorithms to Automatic Generation of Anomalies0.64422
2The Transfer Performance of Economic Models0.58531
3Hedonic Habits: The Empirical Content of Dynamic Hedonic Models0.51122