Rational Inattention during a Randomized Controlled Trial
We introduce an information provision experiment into a standard dynamic rational inattention model. We derive analytical results about how the treatment effect varies with characteristics of the environment and the individual. We use these results to discuss findings in the empirical literature on information provision experiments that can be explained by rational inattention of survey respondents and what this interpretation implies about behavior outside the survey. (JEL C90, D83, D91)
Authors
- Mirko Wiederholt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9794-3288)
- Bartosz Maćkowiak
Institutions
- Center for Economic and Policy Research (US)
- European Central Bank (DE)
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- American Economic Review Insights
- Published
- 2026-02-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1257/aeri.20240509
- Primary Topic
- Survey Methodology and Nonresponse
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00