Template-type: ReDif-Paper 1.0 
Author-Name: Innocenti, Stefania
Author-Email: innocenti@merit.unu.edu
Author-workplace-name: UNU‐MERIT, Maastricht University
Author-Name: Cowan, Robin
Author-Email: cowan@merit.unu.edu
Author-workplace-name: UNU‐MERIT, Maastricht University, and Beta, Universite de Strasbourg
Title: Mimetic behaviour and institutional persistence: A two-armed bandit experiment
Abstract: Institutions are the result of many individual decisions. Understanding 
	 how agents filter available information concerning the behaviour of 
	 others is therefore crucial. In this paper we investigate whether and 
	 how agents' self-efficacy beliefs affect mimetic behaviour and thus, 
	 implicitly the evolution of institutions. We propose an experimental 
	 task, which is a modified version of the two-armed bandit with finite 
	 time horizon. In the first treatment, we study in detail individual 
	 learning. In the second treatment, we measure how individuals use the 
	 information they gather while observing a randomly selected group 
	 leader. We find a negative relation between self-efficacy beliefs and 
	 the propensity to emulate a peer. This might ultimately affect the 
	 likelihood of institutional change.
Keywords: Emulation, mimicry, laboratory experiment, self-efficacy, institutional change
Classification-JEL: B52, C13, C91, D02, D03, D83  
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 20160519
Number: 2016-028
File-URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2016/wp2016-028.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 275 kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2016028