Quantitative Economics

Journal of the Econometric Society

Edited by: Bernard Salanié • Print ISSN: 1759-7323 • Online ISSN: 1759-7331

Quantitative Economics: May, 2025, Volume 16, Issue 2

An Experimental Study of Decentralized Matching

https://doi.org/10.3982/QE2316
p. 497-533

Federico Echenique|Alejandro Robinson‐Cortés|Leeat Yariv

We present an experimental study of decentralized two‐sided matching markets with no transfers. Experimental participants are informed of everyone's preferences and can make arbitrary nonbinding match offers that get finalized when a period of market inactivity has elapsed. Several insights emerge. First, stable outcomes are prevalent. Second, while centralized clearinghouses commonly aim at implementing extremal stable matchings, our decentralized markets most frequently culminate in the median stable matching. Third, preferences' cardinal representations impact the stable partners with whom participants match. Last, the dynamics underlying our results exhibit strategic sophistication, with agents successfully avoiding cycles of blocking pairs.


Full Content: Print

Supplemental Material

Supplement to "An Experimental Study of Decentralized Matching"

Federico Echenique, Alejandro Robinson-Cortés, and Leeat Yariv

Supplemental Appendix

Supplement to "An Experimental Study of Decentralized Matching"

Federico Echenique, Alejandro Robinson-Cortés, and Leeat Yariv

The replication package for this paper is available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14172224. The Journal checked the data and codes included in the package for their ability to reproduce the results in the paper and approved online appendices.