We design and implement lab experiments, as close as possible to the Ellsberg two-color urn experiment, to evaluate the positive and normative appeal of behavior arising from models of ambiguity-averse preferences. We report three main empirical findings: First, these preference models do not...

We examine the phenomenon of escalation from an economist's perspective, emphasizing explanations which do not rule out rational behavior on the part of firms or agents. We argue that escalation cannot be established as a separate phenomenon unless these possible alternative explanations are...

Charness and Dufwenberg (American Economic Review, June 2011, 1211-1237) have recently demonstrated that cheap-talk communication raises efficiency in bilateral contracting situations with adverse selection. We replicate their finding and check its robustness by introducing competition between...