Relative Maximum Likelihood Updating of Ambiguous Beliefs

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Cheng, Xiaoyu
Format: Preprint
Published: 2019
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author Cheng, Xiaoyu
author_facet Cheng, Xiaoyu
contents This paper proposes and axiomatizes a new updating rule: Relative Maximum Likelihood (RML) for ambiguous beliefs represented by a set of priors (C). This rule takes the form of applying Bayes' rule to a subset of C. This subset is a linear contraction of C towards its subset ascribing a maximal probability to the observed event. The degree of contraction captures the extent of willingness to discard priors based on likelihood when updating. Two well-known updating rules of multiple priors, Full Bayesian (FB) and Maximum Likelihood (ML), are included as special cases of RML. An axiomatic characterization of conditional preferences generated by RML updating is provided when the preferences admit Maxmin Expected Utility representations. The axiomatization relies on weakening the axioms characterizing FB and ML. The axiom characterizing ML is identified for the first time in this paper, addressing a long-standing open question in the literature.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_1911_02678
institution arXiv
publishDate 2019
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Relative Maximum Likelihood Updating of Ambiguous Beliefs
Cheng, Xiaoyu
Theoretical Economics
This paper proposes and axiomatizes a new updating rule: Relative Maximum Likelihood (RML) for ambiguous beliefs represented by a set of priors (C). This rule takes the form of applying Bayes' rule to a subset of C. This subset is a linear contraction of C towards its subset ascribing a maximal probability to the observed event. The degree of contraction captures the extent of willingness to discard priors based on likelihood when updating. Two well-known updating rules of multiple priors, Full Bayesian (FB) and Maximum Likelihood (ML), are included as special cases of RML. An axiomatic characterization of conditional preferences generated by RML updating is provided when the preferences admit Maxmin Expected Utility representations. The axiomatization relies on weakening the axioms characterizing FB and ML. The axiom characterizing ML is identified for the first time in this paper, addressing a long-standing open question in the literature.
title Relative Maximum Likelihood Updating of Ambiguous Beliefs
topic Theoretical Economics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.02678