Zachary Wojtowicz
@zwojo.bsky.social
Econ | Cogsci | AI
Psychology & Economic Theory Postdoc @ Harvard Economics / HBS
http://www.zachary-wojtowicz.com
Psychology & Economic Theory Postdoc @ Harvard Economics / HBS
http://www.zachary-wojtowicz.com
Common knowledge is a valuable social and economic resource!
In the paper, I discuss implications for law, theory of firm, diversity, AI-IO, & more
In the paper, I discuss implications for law, theory of firm, diversity, AI-IO, & more
Context and Communication
This article studies the role that shared context plays in facilitating communication and, through it, cooperation. In a sender-receiver framework, I first form
papers.ssrn.com
November 27, 2024 at 4:55 PM
Common knowledge is a valuable social and economic resource!
In the paper, I discuss implications for law, theory of firm, diversity, AI-IO, & more
In the paper, I discuss implications for law, theory of firm, diversity, AI-IO, & more
I demonstrate the implications in a stylized contracting experiment
Pairs with shared context (prior talk about similar items) were better at understanding…
And more likely to play honestly!
Pairs with shared context (prior talk about similar items) were better at understanding…
And more likely to play honestly!
November 27, 2024 at 4:55 PM
I demonstrate the implications in a stylized contracting experiment
Pairs with shared context (prior talk about similar items) were better at understanding…
And more likely to play honestly!
Pairs with shared context (prior talk about similar items) were better at understanding…
And more likely to play honestly!
In the paper, I formally show how shared context helps people efficiently coordinate on meaning
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) bounds efficiency
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) bounds efficiency
November 27, 2024 at 4:55 PM
In the paper, I formally show how shared context helps people efficiently coordinate on meaning
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) bounds efficiency
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) bounds efficiency
Most communication is highly contextual: messages can mean wildly different things in different circumstances (e.g., “I’ll have the usual”)
Coordination failures (misunderstandings) have major consequences
Coordination failures (misunderstandings) have major consequences
November 27, 2024 at 4:55 PM
Most communication is highly contextual: messages can mean wildly different things in different circumstances (e.g., “I’ll have the usual”)
Coordination failures (misunderstandings) have major consequences
Coordination failures (misunderstandings) have major consequences
Direct communication is a powerful tool for solving coordination problems
But communication is itself a coordination problem!
But communication is itself a coordination problem!
November 27, 2024 at 4:55 PM
Direct communication is a powerful tool for solving coordination problems
But communication is itself a coordination problem!
But communication is itself a coordination problem!
I also demonstrate this in an online experiment where
1. Buyer orders a good
2. Seller delivers a good
3. Buyer accepts / rejects delivery
• Seller wants to misdeliver if possible (think up-sell)
• Buyer wants to forgive genuine misunderstanding, but punish deception
1. Buyer orders a good
2. Seller delivers a good
3. Buyer accepts / rejects delivery
• Seller wants to misdeliver if possible (think up-sell)
• Buyer wants to forgive genuine misunderstanding, but punish deception
November 27, 2024 at 3:32 PM
I also demonstrate this in an online experiment where
1. Buyer orders a good
2. Seller delivers a good
3. Buyer accepts / rejects delivery
• Seller wants to misdeliver if possible (think up-sell)
• Buyer wants to forgive genuine misunderstanding, but punish deception
1. Buyer orders a good
2. Seller delivers a good
3. Buyer accepts / rejects delivery
• Seller wants to misdeliver if possible (think up-sell)
• Buyer wants to forgive genuine misunderstanding, but punish deception
In the paper, I formally prove that the more relevant context a group shares, the easier it is for them to communicate new information
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) places a lower bound on communication costs
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) places a lower bound on communication costs
November 27, 2024 at 3:32 PM
In the paper, I formally prove that the more relevant context a group shares, the easier it is for them to communicate new information
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) places a lower bound on communication costs
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) places a lower bound on communication costs
Language is highly contextual: messages can mean wildly different things in different circumstances (e.g., “I’ll have the usual”)
Coordination failures matter: E.g. the \$3.5b lawsuit over whether each plane on 9/11 was a separate “occurrence”
Coordination failures matter: E.g. the \$3.5b lawsuit over whether each plane on 9/11 was a separate “occurrence”
November 27, 2024 at 3:32 PM
Language is highly contextual: messages can mean wildly different things in different circumstances (e.g., “I’ll have the usual”)
Coordination failures matter: E.g. the \$3.5b lawsuit over whether each plane on 9/11 was a separate “occurrence”
Coordination failures matter: E.g. the \$3.5b lawsuit over whether each plane on 9/11 was a separate “occurrence”
Direct communication is a powerful tool for solving coordination problems
But communication is itself a coordination problem!
But communication is itself a coordination problem!
November 27, 2024 at 3:32 PM
Direct communication is a powerful tool for solving coordination problems
But communication is itself a coordination problem!
But communication is itself a coordination problem!
Empirics: A stylized game where
BUYER orders a good
SELLER delivers a good
BUYER accepts / rejects delivery
SELLER wants to misdeliver if possible (think up-sell)
BUYER wants to forgive genuine misunderstanding, but punish deception
BUYER orders a good
SELLER delivers a good
BUYER accepts / rejects delivery
SELLER wants to misdeliver if possible (think up-sell)
BUYER wants to forgive genuine misunderstanding, but punish deception
November 26, 2024 at 5:26 PM
Empirics: A stylized game where
BUYER orders a good
SELLER delivers a good
BUYER accepts / rejects delivery
SELLER wants to misdeliver if possible (think up-sell)
BUYER wants to forgive genuine misunderstanding, but punish deception
BUYER orders a good
SELLER delivers a good
BUYER accepts / rejects delivery
SELLER wants to misdeliver if possible (think up-sell)
BUYER wants to forgive genuine misunderstanding, but punish deception
In fact, the more relevant context a group shares, the easier it is for them to communicate new information
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) places a lower bound on communication costs
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) places a lower bound on communication costs
November 26, 2024 at 5:26 PM
In fact, the more relevant context a group shares, the easier it is for them to communicate new information
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) places a lower bound on communication costs
Common knowledge (in the sense of Aumann) places a lower bound on communication costs
Theory: Rigid languages are less effective at compressing information
Contextual equilibria Pareto dominate in sender-receiver games with differentially costly (type indep.) messages
Contextual equilibria Pareto dominate in sender-receiver games with differentially costly (type indep.) messages
November 26, 2024 at 5:26 PM
Theory: Rigid languages are less effective at compressing information
Contextual equilibria Pareto dominate in sender-receiver games with differentially costly (type indep.) messages
Contextual equilibria Pareto dominate in sender-receiver games with differentially costly (type indep.) messages
Such ambiguity has far-reaching consequences
E.g. the \$3.5b insurance dispute over whether each plane on 9/11 was a separate “occurrence”
Big Q: Given the risks, why not adopt a totally unambiguous system?
E.g. the \$3.5b insurance dispute over whether each plane on 9/11 was a separate “occurrence”
Big Q: Given the risks, why not adopt a totally unambiguous system?
November 26, 2024 at 5:26 PM
Such ambiguity has far-reaching consequences
E.g. the \$3.5b insurance dispute over whether each plane on 9/11 was a separate “occurrence”
Big Q: Given the risks, why not adopt a totally unambiguous system?
E.g. the \$3.5b insurance dispute over whether each plane on 9/11 was a separate “occurrence”
Big Q: Given the risks, why not adopt a totally unambiguous system?
We don’t make this easy on ourselves!
Language is highly contextual: messages can mean wildly different things in different circumstances (e.g., “I’ll have the usual”)
Language is highly contextual: messages can mean wildly different things in different circumstances (e.g., “I’ll have the usual”)
November 26, 2024 at 5:26 PM
We don’t make this easy on ourselves!
Language is highly contextual: messages can mean wildly different things in different circumstances (e.g., “I’ll have the usual”)
Language is highly contextual: messages can mean wildly different things in different circumstances (e.g., “I’ll have the usual”)
I’m no biologist, but perhaps convergent evolution re-discovering how annoying biting flies are! (Especially on the rear)
www.nature.com/articles/nco...
www.nature.com/articles/nco...
The function of zebra stripes - Nature Communications
The function of zebra stripes remains unclear as none of the options have been validated ecologically. Here, the authors, matching striping patterns to environmental variables, test the main hypothese...
www.nature.com
November 26, 2024 at 4:17 AM
I’m no biologist, but perhaps convergent evolution re-discovering how annoying biting flies are! (Especially on the rear)
www.nature.com/articles/nco...
www.nature.com/articles/nco...
Hi Stephanie! There’s a contracting experiment in my JMP and more on the way. Would love to connect with other experimentalists
November 19, 2024 at 10:09 PM
Hi Stephanie! There’s a contracting experiment in my JMP and more on the way. Would love to connect with other experimentalists
This is great! Would love to be added
November 19, 2024 at 1:37 AM
This is great! Would love to be added
Thanks for putting this together! Would love to be included
November 18, 2024 at 4:15 PM
Thanks for putting this together! Would love to be included