Quantitative Economics
Journal of the Econometric Society
Edited by: Bernard Salanié • Print ISSN: 1759-7323 • Online ISSN: 1759-7331
Edited by: Bernard Salanié • Print ISSN: 1759-7323 • Online ISSN: 1759-7331
Quantitative Economics: May, 2025, Volume 16, Issue 2
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.
Federico Echenique, Alejandro Robinson-Cortés, and Leeat Yariv
Supplemental Appendix
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.
July 5, 2026