Pre-contest Communication Incentives

摘要

To demonstrate resolution and psychological strength, players often engage in pre-contest communication byrnpublicly stating their desire to win an upcoming contest. Existing explanations for this phenomenon revolvernaround incomplete information and signaling. In this paper, I offer a complementary explanation that doesrnnot rely on signaling. Within a complete information setup, I show that players may have an incentive forrnpre-contest communication if, in addition to an audience (reputational) cost when the statement does not materialize,rnthe players also incur an audience reward (credibility gain) when the statement materializes.