Game-theoretic trees vary in complexity. This paper introduces the concept of graph-based complexity and relies on the subjects’ behavior to empirically derive a measure of tree complexity. Data comes from the mobile app Blues and Reds, designed specifically to conduct experiments.

The sample consists of 6637 subjects from 143 countries who play 27 different dynamic games. Based on subjects’ response times, we find that two measures – the average response time spent at the first round and the average total time spent solving the tree – are the best candidates for the empirical measure of tree complexity. We focus on two-person, finite, zero-sum dynamic games with perfect and complete information.

Read the full article at ScienceDirect

Konrad Grabiszewski, Alex Horenstein, Measuring tree complexity with response times, Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Volume 98, 2022, 101876, ISSN 2214-8043, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2022.101876.