Games of strategy in culture and economics research

Abstract

ABSTRACTGames are meant to be fun, yet economists have successfully developed games that are less fun and less understood by participants especially in developing countries. This paper surveys failures in risk attitudes elicitation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and questions the use of complex research tools such as multiple price list (MPL) approaches and behavioral games that rural participants have never played before. The failures can be avoided by using innovative research tools that ingest local activities like indigenous board games that the rural people have played for generations because these games are entertaining and closely related to the economic decisions they make. I provide a description of a variant of the indigenous strategic games of Africa- Mancala- and suggest a research agenda that applies the game in economics research—for risk attitudes elicitation, improving math skills of children and behavioral game theory.