Huan Xie, Concordia University - September 21, 2018
Huan Xie, Concordia University, will present a seminar at 4:00 PM in Arts 807
September 21, 2018
Huan Xie, Concordia University, will present a seminar at 4:00 PM in Arts 807
Seminar Title: Persuasion Bias in Science: An Experiment
Abstract: We experimentally test a game theoretical model of researcher-evaluator interaction à la Di Tillio, Ottaviani, and Sørensen (2017). Researcher may strategically manipulate sample selection using his private information, in order to get favourable research outcomes and thereby obtain approval from Evaluator. Our experimental results confirm theoretical predictions about Researcher's behaviour, but find significant deviations from them about Evaluator's behaviour. However, comparative statics are generally consistent with theoretical predictions. We find that Researcher always benefits from the possibility of manipulation, in contrast to the theoretical prediction that he sometimes is hurt by using manipulation. Finally, consistent with theoretical predictions, Evaluator benefits from the possibility of Researcher's manipulation when she leans towards approval or is approximately neutral, but is hurt by that possibility when she leans against approval.