The investigator proposes to study human behavior in dynamic bargaining games with constant costs of delay in complete information settings. The predictive validity of the most widely accepted game-theoretic solution to this case -- subgame prefect equilibrium -- will be tested, and it shall be observed in what way, if at all, subjects' behavior systematically violates the normative solution. The project is based on preliminary theoretical and experimental work in this area. The investigator plans to enlarge the scope of his previous studies along three dimensions. The investigator shall compare bargaining with finite vs. infinite horizons, bargaining with or without a quitting move, and bargaining over a deficit vs. bargaining with a surplus. These experiments are designed to answer questions regarding fairness, greed, and the robustness of subgame organization in a variety of isomorphic bargaining representations derived from various task transformations.
