Game Changer - the game theory podcast

In this episode, we explore the often misunderstood relationship between game theory and human behaviour. Our guest Moshe Hoffman challenges the conventional belief that game theory only applies to rational actors. As Moshe explains in his book “Hidden games” (co-authored with Erez Yoeli), even seemingly irrational behaviours and preferences can be explained through game theory. We dive into the concept of 'hidden games' and their influence on our daily actions and decisions, revealing the subtle complexities of human social behaviour.   Moshe Hoffman is a lecturer at Harvard's Department of Economics and at Boston College as well as an independent scholar. His interdisciplinary research bridges game theory, models of learning and evolution, and experimental methods to unravel the underpinnings of social behaviour, preferences, and ideologies. For more information on Moshe Hoffman and his work, you can visit his homepage.

Uri Gneezy discusses mixed signals in negotiations, emphasizing the importance of the opening offer. He explores how incentives impact behaviors and values, highlighting the need for aligning actions with intended messages for optimal outcomes. The podcast delves into the role of signals in job interviews and employee retention, stressing the significance of credibility and reciprocity in negotiations.

Neuroeconomic expert Juan D. Carrillo discusses the blend of economics and neuroscience in understanding decision making. Topics include multi-task decisions, self-control, impulsivity, resource allocation in the brain, neuroscience of food decisions, cues in decision making, and testable predictions in neuroeconomic theory.

In this episode, we discuss with Canice Prendergast how market design mechanisms can be applied in social services. Canice shares how he collaborated with Feeding America on optimally allocating about 300 million pounds of food per year to hundreds of food banks across the United States. They were developing a market-based allocation mechanism introducing an internal currency to bid for available food on a daily basis. Canice shares the process itself as well as many anecdotes on its development and introduction.  Canice Prendergast is W. Allen Wallis Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is an economist specialising in economic theory, labour economics, and organizational behaviour.

Jeffrey Ely, a renowned microeconomic theorist, discusses the risks of AI-driven feedback loops and the importance of AI transparency. They explore the challenges of AI delegation, the threat of AI reproduction, and the power of market forces in AI utilization. The podcast highlights the need for transparency to mitigate the dominance of rogue AI.

In this episode, we explore with Marta Serra-Garcia the paradoxes of human behaviour in the realms of self-deception and lie detection. Marta's research, rooted in behavioural and experimental economics, questions why lying persists in a society that values morality. We delve into her experiments that examine how people reconcile their self-image with material interests, the timing of incentive information in ethical decision-making, and the effectiveness of algorithms in detecting deception.   Marta Serra-Garcia is an Associate Professor of Economics and Strategy at the UC San Diego Rady School of Management. Specialising in behavioural and experimental economics, her acclaimed work focuses on the dynamics of ethical decision-making and its influence on behaviours like lying and charitable giving. A prolific researcher, Marta's work has been published in esteemed journals, earning her a place among the 2020 Best 40 under 40 MBA Professors. You can find her paper on self-deception here and her paper on lie detection here.

In this episode, our guest Alain Cohn helps us to understand the complex relationship between wealth and perceptions of fairness in society. We explore his innovative research methodology, which move beyond traditional surveys to more accurately reflect the nuances of economic behaviors. The conversation also highlights the differences in attitudes towards inequality among the wealthy, particularly contrasting those with inherited wealth and the newly affluent. Through Alain's studies, we gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics at play between wealth, fairness, and policy influence in today’s society. Alain Cohn is Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, focused on the social and psychological determinants of economic behaviors. His work has significantly contributed to our understanding of honesty, financial risk-taking, and the impact of wealth on fairness perceptions and redistribution policies. In the episode, we also briefly mention the ultimatum game and the dictator’s game. If you want to find out more about these games, you can also check out our episode on first offers in bargaining with Lionel Page.

In this episode, Marc Robinson, an expert in strategy and risk management with a rich automotive industry background, delves into the recent UAW strikes and negotiations from a Game Theorist perspective. He discusses key success factors for the UAW, broader implications for the automotive industry, and future union negotiations. Topics covered include simultaneous negotiations, corruption scandals within the UAW, demands made by the new union president, wage increases, joint venture battery plants, sustainability concerns, and the need for better preparation for future negotiations.

Game Theory podcast features Frank Zagare, expert on deterrence and game theory. They discuss the shortcomings of classical deterrence modeling, introduce perfect deterrence theory, and explore its distinctions. They examine the fragility of bilateral strategic relationships, the breakdown of deterrence, and offer insights into the war in Ukraine.

In this episode we are talking to Michel Maréchal about honesty from an economist’s perspective. He shares with us two studies he has conducted on honesty: Firstly, we talk about a mega-study in which Michel and his colleagues have tested in more than 300 cities around the globe with more than 17000 wallets whether people would rather return lost wallets if there were a higher or lower amount of money in them. Secondly, he shares a lab experiment in which he studied whether humans are more honest when interacting with other humans versus interacting with machines. Both studies give an understanding on human’s behaviour when being incentivized to being dishonest.     Michel Maréchal is a Visiting Professor of Economics at the Rady School of Management, UC San Diego and Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics from the University of Zürich. His research is interdisciplinary and lies at the intersections of economics, social psychology, criminology, political science and biology. Here you can find Michel’s papers on civic honesty and honesty in the digital age. You can also check out his website for other research topics he is currently working on.