A Welfare Criterion for Models with Distorted Beliefs

55 Pages Posted: 24 Nov 2014 Last revised: 16 Jul 2023

See all articles by Markus K. Brunnermeier

Markus K. Brunnermeier

Princeton University - Department of Economics

Alp Simsek

Yale School of Management; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Wei Xiong

Princeton University - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: November 2014

Abstract

This paper proposes a welfare criterion for economies in which agents have heterogeneously distorted beliefs. Instead of taking a stand on whose belief is correct, our criterion asserts that an allocation is belief-neutral efficient (inefficient) if it is efficient (inefficient) under any convex combination of agents' beliefs. While this criterion gives an incomplete ranking of social allocations, it can identify positive- and negative-sum speculation driven by conflicting beliefs in a broad range of economic environments.

Suggested Citation

Brunnermeier, Markus Konrad and Simsek, Alp and Xiong, Wei, A Welfare Criterion for Models with Distorted Beliefs (November 2014). NBER Working Paper No. w20691, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2529844

Markus Konrad Brunnermeier (Contact Author)

Princeton University - Department of Economics ( email )

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Alp Simsek

Yale School of Management ( email )

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://https://economics.mit.edu/faculty/asimsek

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) ( email )

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Wei Xiong

Princeton University - Department of Economics ( email )

Princeton, NJ 08544-1021
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States