Published October 1985 | Version Submitted
Working Paper Open

Equilibrium Selection in Signaling Games

Abstract

We present a refinement of the set of sequential equilibria [Kreps & Wilson (1982)] for generic signaling games based on rationality postulates for off-the-equilibrium-path beliefs. This refinement concept eliminates equilibria which Kreps (1985) and others dismiss on intuitive grounds. In addition, we derive a characterization of the set of stable equilibria [Kohlberg and Mertens (1982)] for generic signaling games in terms of equilibrium strategies and restrictions on beliefs. Examples are given which differentiate the predictions of these equilibrium concepts.

Additional Information

Revised. Original dated to March 1985. Presented at the 5th World Congress of the Econometric Society, Boston MA, August 1985. We thank participants of Caltech, UCSD and Rand Corporation Theory Workshops, Drew Fudenberg, David Kreps, and two referees for valuable comments. Sobel thanks Joe Farrell and Chris Harris for many conversations on related topic and the National Science Foundation for partial support under grant SES 84-08655. Published as Banks, Jeffrey S., and Joel Sobel. "Equilibrium selection in signaling games." Econometrica: Journal of the Econometric Society (1987): 647-661.

Attached Files

Submitted - sswp565_-_revised.pdf

Files

sswp565_-_revised.pdf

Files (322.6 kB)

Name Size Download all
md5:e5d58b744db32fe7c7ea9b8f5bc6d720
322.6 kB Preview Download

Additional details

Identifiers

Eprint ID
81505
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20170915-161826033

Funding

NSF
SES 84-08655

Dates

Created
2017-09-19
Created from EPrint's datestamp field
Updated
2019-10-03
Created from EPrint's last_modified field

Caltech Custom Metadata

Caltech groups
Social Science Working Papers
Series Name
Social Science Working Paper
Series Volume or Issue Number
656