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Empirical study of decision-making theory by economic experiments with insects

Research Project

Project/Area Number 16K13351
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Research Field Economic theory
Research InstitutionHitotsubashi University

Principal Investigator

Takeuchi kan  一橋大学, 大学院経済学研究科, 准教授 (50509148)

Project Period (FY) 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
Budget Amount *help
¥3,120,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥720,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Keywords実験経済学 / ゲーム理論 / ナッシュ均衡 / 昆虫実験 / カブトムシ / 頭角長 / 混合戦略均衡 / 経済実験 / 混合戦略 / 昆虫 / 頭角 / 昆虫生態学
Outline of Final Research Achievements

The mixed strategy Nash equilibrium is one of the robust theoretical predictions of human behavior. Humans with their complex decision-makings, however, rarely play the equilibrium strategy, and thus economic experiments have not necessarily tested the validity of the theory.
This research project, therefore, intends to show the potentials of economic experiments with insects, which presumably have simple internal decision-making models. Specifically, using male Japanese rhinoceros beetles, we analyze the horn lengths, the body sizes, and their fighting tactics and we find that they precisely play the Nash equilibrium strategy.
This result is not only the successful replication of the model prediction but also the successful proof of the potentials of economic experiments with insects.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

オークション理論やマッチング理論など多くの経済学モデルが社会実装されつつある近年、経済実験による理論の妥当性検証はますます重要になってきている。その際、実際の人間が理論予測と、どのように異なるのかをあらかじめ分析する必要がある。ただし、理論と実際の行動の乖離が大きすぎる場合、それは理論の前提が特殊すぎるからなのか、人間の行動が特殊すぎるからなのか、判別が困難である。それゆえ、標準的な意思決定モデルを持つであろう虫を使った実験に価値がある。その潜在的価値の大きさを示したのが、本研究課題の成果でもある。

Report

(5 results)
  • 2019 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2018 Research-status Report
  • 2017 Research-status Report
  • 2016 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (4 results)

All 2017 2016

All Presentation (4 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 3 results)

  • [Presentation] Beetles play Nash: Mixed strategy equilibrium in their horn length2017

    • Author(s)
      Kan Takeuchi
    • Organizer
      Economic Science Association 2017 North American Meeting
    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Beetles play Nash: Mixed strategy equilibrium in their horn length2017

    • Author(s)
      Kan Takeuchi
    • Organizer
      Behavioural economics: Foundations and applied research
    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Beetles play Nash: Mixed strategy equilibrium in their horn length2017

    • Author(s)
      Kan Takeuchi
    • Organizer
      2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Science Association Conference
    • Place of Presentation
      台北市(台湾)
    • Related Report
      2016 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] カブトムシの戦略と頭角長:混合戦略均衡の実証実験2016

    • Author(s)
      竹内幹
    • Organizer
      第20回実験社会科学カンファレンス
    • Place of Presentation
      同志社大学(京都府・京都市)
    • Related Report
      2016 Research-status Report

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Published: 2016-04-21   Modified: 2021-02-19  

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